After many years of torture, Animals Asia finally managed to rescue Tuffy the bear.
They brought him to their sanctuary located in Vietnam and a vet was called to check him out. Unfortunately, Tuffy’s gallbladder was severely damaged and it had to be removed. The bear also had three fractured teeth that had to be removed. His paws were cracked, and it was really painful.
According to the manager of the foundation Louise Ellis, paws are usually cracked when bears only walk on bars and not grass. The poor bear had to undergo surgery, which went very well. After the surgery, the volunteers brought him to his new home: a big enclosure with a pool just for him.
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When Tuffy arrived at his new home, he went straight into the pool. Since the bear had never seen water before, he got really excited to dive into it.
The bear swan in the pool and jumped up and down, having a great time. When the volunteers saw Tuffy, they laughed and were happy to see that the bear enjoying himself.
The volunteers found out that Tuffy loves to be outside. Instead of sleeping in his den, he decided to sleep under the stars every night. Now, he finally has the feeling of freedom to splash around in the water after spending 9 years in a cage.
Over the next year, Tuffy managed to recover his strength. The bear even gained some weight and continued to enjoy his freedom. Once the bear was feeling healthy enough, he was transferred to an enclosure to live with 15 other moon bears who also had tough pasts. Tuffy really loved to socialize and even became the leader of the pack.
The Vietnamese government recently shared some good news regarding the bear file farming. They announced that it will be completely ended in the country by the end of 2020. Soon enough, all bears who live in these farms will be moved to sanctuaries. So many bears will get the opportunity to experience the same freedom and happiness as Tuffy!
After nine years of being trapped in a cage, Tuffy now has a place to call home and enjoy his freedom!
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