Friendship Is Best Medicine For Rescued Bears

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On a recent trip to Animals Asia's Vietnam Bear Rescue Center we couldn't resist catching up with sun bears Sassy and Layla to see how they've been getting on since moving in together in spring.

Then the young pair - both rescued separately from traffickers and saved from a life on bile farms – stole all our hearts when they cemented their relationship with spring days spent wrestling from dawn till dusk.

More than 1,000 bears are still believed to languish on Vietnam's bear bile farms, despite the practice being made illegal. They endure a lifetime cramped in tiny cages so that the bile produced from their gall bladder can be extracted for use in traditional medicine.

Photo: Animals Asia

The trauma of being ripped from their families when just cubs was all too real for Layla and Sassy, but thankfully the horrors of bear bile farming will never be a reality for this pair.

And now that they have each other, they'll "live happily ever after" in the peaceful and natural surroundings of our Tam Dao sanctuary. There they are surrounded by woodland and jungle, with their lives enriched by each other and an endless supply of toys. Not to mention the love from their carers.

Photo: Animals Asia

To date, Animals Asia has saved more than 500 moon and sun bears from similar fates in China and Vietnam.

Watching these curious little girls play is the perfect way to start any week and Layla even took a moment to wave to all the people out there who made her rescue and lifetime of rehabilitation possible.

A beautiful wave that's bound to make this an extra special #SunBearMonday.

Photo: Animals Asia