Rick Wakeman, keyboardist for the progressive rock band Yes and established solo artist, recently gave a piano performance at a bear sanctuary in Vietnam’s Tam Dao national park. The concert took place at Animals Asia’s facility, which houses 150 rescued Asiatic black bears. Wakeman composed new musical pieces specifically for the performance and selected melodic pieces, expressing hope that the animals would respond to the gentle music.
The musician has supported animal welfare initiatives for years and has been sponsoring bears at the sanctuary since 2016. Recently, he adopted a young bear at the facility. Wakeman noted the challenging conditions he observed, with many bears having spent years chained in cages where they could not turn around. The concert aimed to raise awareness about the ongoing practice of bile extraction from bears, a procedure performed for traditional Chinese medicine that involves drawing bile from the animals’ gall bladders.
Bile extraction represents the fourth-largest market in the illegal wildlife trade in East Asia, and the practice has severely impacted Asiatic black bear populations, with approximately one-third of their numbers lost globally over the past 30 years. While Vietnam has recently banned the practice, approximately 125 bears remain in captivity at old bile farms, with an estimated four dying monthly. Wakeman’s performance was intended to draw attention to these remaining animals and encourage government action to transfer them to sanctuaries.
Wakeman stated that animals respond positively to music, noting his own experience with rescue pets at his home. He expressed fascination with the bears’ behavior and demeanor, describing them as playful and seemingly humanlike in their expressions. Dr. Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia, praised Wakeman’s commitment to the sanctuary and the bears, highlighting his contributions to the organization’s mission.
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