Rick Wakeman Performs For 150 Rescued Vietnamese Moon Bears

Things are generally quite difficult for the Asiatic black bear, sometimes known as the moon bear. The moon bear's bile is used in some traditional Chinese medicines, and many of the animals are being held captive in Vietnam and China, keeping them in torturous conditions and extracting bile from their stomachs with needles. Fortunately, Vietnam recently banned the practice, and 150 rescued moon bears are being rehabilitated at a bear sanctuary enclosure in the country's Tam Dao national park. They also just got a private concert from Rick Wakeman.

Wakeman, the prog legend and former Yes keyboardist, is an eccentric sort. He's the guy who described his prostate exam during his Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction speech. As The Guardian reports , Wakeman is also a firm believer in animal rights. He has sponsored rescued bears for years. To bring attention to the moon bears' plight, he also teamed up with the organization Animals Asia to give a recent solo performance for those bears during a visit to the park, playing a Yamaha grand piano that was pushed right up to the fence where the bears lounged.

Before giving his performance, Wakeman told The Guardian , "Before you ask, I won't be playing 'The Teddy Bear's Picnic.'" When asked whether the bears would like the music, Wakeman said, "They’ve not got much choice, really. It’s a well-known fact that all animals react to music, especially gentle melodic music. So what I am going to do is piano music that is melodic, and I can only hope that they will come up to the perimeter of the sanctuary and have a listen... I hope they lay down and have a listen; that would make my day. I would have a big grin on my face." They did! They did exactly that!

In videos of the performance, it sure looks like some of those bears are into it, and Wakeman is visibly excited to note their reactions. We get to see the literal big grin on his face. But maybe Wakeman wasn't surprised, since he apparently plays for his rescued dogs and cats at his Suffolk home all the time: "I had one cat who used to jump on the grand piano, and if I stopped playing he would put his paw in the strings and rattle them until I played again. I know if my dogs don’t like it, they will get up and walk out, and my cats don’t like metal, grunge, or rap. They want a melody." Tough crowd.

I tell you what, too: Those bears are cute as hell. Free the final bears! Read The Guardian 's report here and check out some of the videos below.

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