In one of her last acts of compassion, the late, legendary conservationist Dr Jane Goodall chose to become the proud guardian of a traumatised moon bear rescued from horrific conditions. The primatologist, who died in October 2024 aged 91, formally adopted the bear named Robinson the year before her passing, a poignant commitment revealed posthumously.
A Survivor Named Robinson
The bear, christened Robinson in honour of Goodall's friend Jill Robinson MBE, endured 15 brutal years confined to a cage on a bear bile farm in Vietnam. Rescued in 2023 by the charity Animals Asia, which Goodall long supported, the animal arrived at sanctuary deeply traumatised and bearing the physical scars of her ordeal. She was missing part of a front paw and most of a hind paw, injuries likely sustained from a snare in her cubhood.
In a moving op-ed written before her death, Goodall described the grim reality of Robinson's former life. "Imagine being ripped away from your mother as a child, spending fifteen years in a tiny metal-barred cage, and being jabbed almost every day with long needles. That is what happened to my bear Robinson," she wrote. The founder of The Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace expressed profound horror at the bile extraction industry, where bears are kept in cages for their bodily fluids to be used in traditional medicine.
Sanctuary Life and a Sassy Spirit
Despite her traumatic past, Robinson's character began to shine through in the safety of her new home. Goodall wrote affectionately of the bear's resilient spirit, describing her as "sassy but sweet and gentle" with a "crooked little smile." Her carers at the sanctuary have dubbed her a "sleeping goddess."
Robinson now lives at the Animals Asia sanctuary within Vietnam's Bach Ma National Park, a sprawling two-hectare refuge of mountainous beauty. She shares her enclosure with another rescued bear named Manu. The pair have formed a close bond, sleeping curled in straw together, playing with hessian sacks, and splashing in a pool. Robinson receives medicine in sweet syrup and enjoys resting on a sunlit hammock, finally experiencing peace.
A Legacy of Unfinished Work
Goodall's decision to become a guardian—she had previously sponsored another bear named Mandala—was deeply personal. She saw it as a direct link to a survivor and a tribute to the "fearless" work of Jill Robinson and Animals Asia. The charity has an agreement with the Vietnamese government to rescue every remaining bear from farms, as bile extraction is now illegal. However, a legal loophole is hindering progress, and time is critical to save the final 150 bears still trapped.
The conservationist's desire to visit Robinson in Vietnam was heartfelt. In a May 2023 conversation with Jill Robinson, Goodall expressed her wish to return and see the sanctuary work firsthand. "I have to do more than ever because next year I'll be 90. I don't know how long I have left," she stated poignantly. Tragically, she never made that journey, passing away in Los Angeles on October 1st, 2024.
Her death prompted global mourning, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle among those paying tribute, remembering her as a "visionary humanitarian" and friend. While Jane Goodall is gone, her fierce legacy and final act of kindness for a 'sassy' bear named Robinson endure, a powerful reminder of her lifelong mission to protect the vulnerable and heal our planet.
