Rick Wakeman, the former Yes keyboardist, performed a piano concert for 150 rescued moon bears at a sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park, Vietnam, using a Yamaha grand piano. The event aimed to raise awareness of the cruel bear‑bile trade that forces bears into captivity for traditional medicine.
Wakeman joked before the show that he would not play the teddy bear’s picnic and noted the heat, comparing it to a heatwave in England. He declined a fan, saying it would only circulate more hot air. He had composed new pieces specifically for the bears, hoping that their gentle melodies would attract the animals to the perimeter of the sanctuary.
The musician has supported animal welfare since 2016, adopting a 20‑month‑old bear and caring for rescue dogs and cats in Suffolk. He said he watches the bears closely, describing them as almost human in their expressions and noting moments of playful joy, such as two bears jumping in a bubble bath. The bear bile industry has caused a dramatic decline in Asiatic black bear populations, with nearly a third of their numbers lost in 30 years. Wakeman urged the Vietnamese government to release the 125 bears still kept in bile farms, where four die each month. Dr Jill Robinson, founder of Animals Asia, praised Wakeman’s support and anticipated the bears’ response to his music.
