Having survived the circus and the bile extraction needle, Ingrid just might be the world’s bravest bear 18 October 2018





Abused by the circus, a victim of the bile industry, half blind… but when floating in her pool, moon bear Ingrid is still the happiest bear in the world.

For eight and a half years, moon bear Ingrid has had a wonderful life.

At Animals Asia’s sanctuary in Vietnam, she spends her days playing with her lifelong friend Hope, climbing the mango tree in her enclosure and soaking herself in the pool.

To see her now – healthy, happy and safe – you would never know the awful cruelty she suffered earlier in her life.

For years, Ingrid was abused as a circus bear. She was poached from the wild, held in utterly unsuitable conditions, fed an unnatural diet and forced to perform meaningless tricks while surrounded by the din of music and crowds.

For a wild animal, there are few things more confusing and terrifying than this.

It is likely too that Ingrid would have been periodically knocked unconscious with drugs and her bile extracted as her owners sought to squeeze every last ounce of profit from her.

When Animals Asia were able to rescue her in 2010, she was overweight, her teeth were broken, and she hadn’t been able to express natural behaviours for many years.

But today that has all changed.

Animals Asia Bear Team Supervisor Hoang Van Chien said:

“Ingrid is a beautiful bear with a silky coat. She has a big character and loves showing off when other bears are around. She likes climbing the mango tree in her enclosure. Ingrid enjoys fresh apple and new toys but the pool is her favourite place, where she joyfully dips herself on hot days.”

Over the years in sanctuary, Ingrid has met many bears but her lifelong friend remains Hope who was rescued alongside her from a resort in the north of Vietnam.

As they both grow older, invariably their health is beginning to fade. Hope is already blind, while Ingrid is partially blind due to retinal damage and cataracts. Her spine is also permanently curved due to the years of neglect she suffered in the past.

But despite her awful history and the enduring legacy of how she suffered, Ingrid remains a defiant lover of life, determined to hoover up every apple and enjoy every moment of peace and tranquillity in her sanctuary pool.

Animals Asia Vietnam Bear and Vet Team Director Heidi Quine said:

“Ingrid loves apples and dried fruit – often chewy dried banana or sticky sweet potato strips. She’s perfected her foraging strategy – racing from the dens the minute the slides are opened, picking up the fruit or vegetables she finds along the way and skilfully avoiding all the carrot, which she always leaves to last.

“Ingrid loves having a bath in the pool and it is beautiful to see her and Hope spend time in the water together. If we leave fruit in the pool, Ingrid likes to bob for apples in the water like a child at Halloween. It’s amazing to think her life was all but taken from her, and it is hugely satisfying that we’ve been able to give her back some of the happiness she so deeply deserves.”