Courtesy of Education for Nature, Vietnam (ENV)

A company named Hang Thang Co., Ltd located in Đồng An Hamlet of Bình Hòa commune in Thuận An district of Bình Dương province has kept 25 bears for 6-7 years. The Director of the company is Mr. Kuo Yeh Feng Chu. Although all the bears registered with Binh Duong Forest Protection Department (FPD), it is unclear whether or not the company participated in illegal activities such as bear bile extraction.
 
On Dec 4, 2009, the Binh Duong provincial FPD received a correspondence from the company requesting the voluntarily transfer all the 25 registered Asiatic black bears (12 males and 13 females) to the State.  National FPD then instructed the Binh Duong FPD to complete transportation paper and other related documents for transferring the bears to Bear Rescue Center in Tam Dao National Park of Vinh Phuc Province. 
 
On January 11, ENV staff were contacted by the Director of the bear rescue center in Tam Dao and  informed that they would  receive these bears in the near future.

While the motivation for such an unexpected action is the subject of speculation, we believe it was international pressure that inspired the move.