Bear Farm
These images were commissioned by the Australian NGO Free the Bears Fund to document the practice of keeping bears - usually Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus) for the extraction of bile which is used in traditional medicine. Vietnam's wild bear population has long been depleted and now most bears are smuggled in from neighbouring countries. They are kept in the most appalling conditions, usually singly in cages barely larger than the bear. There have been several initiatives recently by foreign and local NGOs cooperating with Vietnamese authorities to try and phase out the practice.
Recently these images have been used by the Vietnamese NGO Education for Nature (supported by International NGOs) in a major campaign to bring the plight of these animals to the attention of the Vietnamese people, particularly the young.
Leah Garces of animal welfare charity WSPA said: “Congratulations on that photograph - it really caused quite a stir in Vietnam as I'm sure you're aware. People who saw your photograph were inspired to write letters directly to the government. I think it helped to change the mood in Vietnam on this issue.”