http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/rss/RSS_img-01.jpg http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php Copyright 2010, No Author No Author en-US SPHPBLOG 0.4.8 http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100829-213921
The latest lucky bears to leave the horrors of bile farming are, in China, a male moon bear, “Jonah”, whom we rescued from an illegal farm in Dandong, Liaoning Province - and in Vietnam, two females, “Clover” and “Mary”, and a male, “Soo”. Please see our Rescue Diary for more about Jonah in China and our new Vietnam bears.

Well done China and Vietnam teams for bringing another four farmed bears safely home to our door.
]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100829-213921 No Author Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:39:21 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100828-203515
This is a trend that could prove deadly if inappropriate dyes are used - and stories abound of puppies, especially, losing their lives in agony in China at the hands of traders who dye them with toxic colours to make them look "cute". Many of the dyes on the market are poisonous to animals and see them dying in agony a few days later as the toxins enter their system and slowly and painfully poison them.

Please, please anyone reading this - don't be tempted to dye your dogs. Apart from the stress caused to the dogs during the process, and the terrible indignity of trying to change an animal so beautiful in its own right, you could be risking the life of your pet.

See the story here.
]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100828-203515 No Author Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:35:15 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100826-072646
I called Sailing to see if she could help with some pictures and she ran over with her camera and took the most beautiful images of them both.

Oliver, if you remember, was the bear needing surgery on the way back from the farm in Shandong. A hideous metal coil was removed along with his gall bladder in a surgery of several hours performed by Heather and Monica on the back of the truck. As if that wasn't enough, poor Oliver had stunted limbs and a body grossly deformed from his time in the cage - he had languished on two farms no less than 30 years.




Well .... the sight of him literally swaggering out into the enclosure - stretching his stiff old body high into the air to retrieve juicy tomatoes from the tops of the hanging logs, was not to be missed. Every so often he glanced over as if to say "it's pretty good here", before wandering off again to retrieve another tasty treat.






There are simply no words in the English dictionary that can adequately describe how my heart lurched with love and affection for a bear in his twilight years who was so much enjoying his freedom at last. The sun shone, the pool glistened and Oliver smiled for China as his feet got wet.




And then it was on to see Rocky run out of his cage into a den. Except it didn't happen that way at all. This humungous brown bear with the enormous head simply stood and stared when his cage door opened. Confused, cautious and not really understanding what to do with all the space in front of him - it was several minutes before he plucked up the courage to take a cautious step forward, and another couple of minutes before he was brave enough to go the whole way and walk for the first time into his den.





From then on, there was no stopping him - he stretched his face and nose over to the jam and yogurt smeared on to his new hanging-basket bed, or stopped to plunge his soft lips into his drinking bowl and then check out his neighbours next door.

Finally confident enough to walk into the outside section of his den, Rocky looked out in to the enclosure, blinking into the brightness at Oliver as if understanding that his turn outside would be next.

Anna told me later in the evening that Rocky had done a fantastic job of turning his large water bowl into a swimming pool as he repeatedly plunged his head into the depths and tried to wiggle his giant body in too. With a little patience, Rocky will be experiencing the delights of a proper pool later this week.

This blog is dedicated to them both - our handsome, joyous brown bears with fortitude and forgiveness that belies their lives on the farms.



]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100826-072646 No Author Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:26:46 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100823-163716
I wonder what went through your mind as you saw Oliver and his ridiculously stunted limbs, acknowledging that his cage confinement for 30 years had led to his tragic deterioration into a grotesquely unique “dwarf” bear.

I wonder too how you felt looking at the open, bleeding wounds in the abdomens of most of the bears as they lay there sleeping on the tarpaulin, while our team were performing the necessary health-checks to determine just how sick they all were.

Did their broken and desperate forms cause you to experience just one small pang of remorse remembering that just hours before we’d arrived, you had torn the metal corsets from their bodies and even tried to rip out the latex catheters from their gall bladders, which had been milking their bile for 10 long years.

One of those bears we called Kylie. Our first vision of this beautiful copper-brown bear, was seeing her balancing painfully on her elbows and knees in the cage. Unable to lie on her abdomen, she knelt for hours, hardly able to breathe as the stabbing pains continued until we were finally able to reach her cage and provide her with a merciful anaesthetic to help her into oblivion and sleep – for just a few hours.




As you saw the infected area pouring with pus, and noted the hernia surrounding it leaking purulent bile, did you also notice, as we did, the latex catheter that was jagged at the edges having been forcefully pulled and then torn from her damaged, bleeding gall bladder? Or the scars of a metal corset around her midriff and neck which had caused scabbing and skin irritation and loss of her hair?

Did you notice the disgraceful condition of her teeth as our vets gently pulled her top and bottom lips back to reveal flattened edges of black and rotten canines, which had been hacked back to the gum? Did you see the rotten food and tissue lodged in these teeth and smell the putrid stench of her poor abused mouth, which would have seen unrelenting and searing pain as the nerves and pulp were exposed?

How would you feel today, I wonder, if you knew that Kylie was dead.

Weeks of tender, loving care, multiple surgeries to heal her abdominal wounds, and to remove 19 rotten teeth – even blessings by Buddhist monks – were futile in the end as her body gave up and she succumbed to those years of abuse on your farm.

Strong words perhaps from someone who should be grateful that Kylie found herself at least in the care of those of us who were able to gently put her to sleep and allow her to put the decade of pain behind – resting at long last in merciful peace. But how sick we all are, once again, to see our surgery table doubling up as a mortuary slab – where our heartbroken team cut into the body of a dead bear, take the tissue samples so critical for our research, and cry for an animal so casually treated as a “thing” for profit and gain.

If what you said to our staff is true, will you now join us in speaking out about this industry, admitting – as you must know in your heart – the reality of a trade that cripples and kills these stoic animals, and help us bring it more rapidly to an end? It is too late to help Kylie, but if you honestly reflect on bear farms today, August 2010, perhaps your words can still help the thousands of miserable Kylies patiently waiting for your testimony of truth.

RIP Kylie from a team who loved you.

]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100823-163716 No Author Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:37:16 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100822-073427
I met Terry during our UK Roadshow in 2008 and watched in silence – along with everyone else in that awestruck room – as Terry spoke about his experiences and how he related so poignantly with the suffering of caged and abused bears on farms across China and Vietnam.

Now, Terry is helping the animals once again in his narration of a new film, where he speaks of mindless cruelty inflicted on thinking, sentient animals – the most voiceless victims of them all. He is talking about circus animals – forced to perform degrading and humiliating tricks for “our” entertainment in a film called “The Performance”, which features safari parks across China.

The film has been produced through our partnership with the fabulous Ella Waite and her team at Environment Films, and uses footage taken largely by our Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale, who was helped enormously during hours of exhaustive investigation by our China Animal Welfare Officer Lisa Yang and Irene Feng our China Dr Dog Manager in Guangzhou and Sailing Wang, our PR Officer in Chengdu.

Joining Dave and team during some of these investigations towards the end of last year, once again I watched performances which saw a burning rage in my heart. Particularly during the moments when elephants were forced to stand on their heads causing them much pain, or on one leg, spinning like a top – humiliated and wearing ridiculous costumes on their bodies.

Or the memorable day watching one of the trainers smash a young moon bear in the face with his fist when he didn’t understand how to skip. It was more than I could stand – and from nowhere expletives came from my mouth as a bear so miserable and confused was punched and punched again, until she got it right. All this before being locked away in the dirt and the dark – in cages behind the stage – waiting for the next performance with its bright lights, loud music and a screaming crowd who would learn nothing about the animals themselves.

As Terry said in the film, that’s all they have in their lives – and he was angry because he knew how they felt. He asks the viewer to take a moment to think how much you’ve done in the past couple of years, how many places you’ve been to, how many things you’ve experienced – and then to remember that these animals have been suffering in their confinement and pain throughout all of this time.

Thank you Terry for your connection and kindness – for describing events of your past which must be painful to recall, and for relating the animals’ physical and psychological pain with yours. Thank you Ella and your team for creating such a stunning and heart-wrenching documentary – and thank you Dave, and Lisa, Irene, Rainbow and Sailing and all in our Education team in Chengdu for bringing us closer to when the misery, and those countless cruel “performances” must end.

Please click here now to read our full report, to see "The Performance" and help the voiceless performers.











It seems unbelievable that following the exposure of performing animals in China, our Australian Director Anne Lloyd Jones in Sydney read the news that the Ku-ring-gai Council on Sydney's North Shore has recently rescinded its ban on performing exotic animals in circuses, which was introduced in 1999.

Anne quickly began a petition that so far has seen over 600 signatures and comments from all over the world asking for the ban to be reinforced on the grounds that teaching animals to perform inappropriate tricks does nothing to educate the public or foster respect for animals.

Thank you to all our supporters who have added their voices to the campaign already and to the RSPCA NSW for declaring they were "gob smacked by Ku-ring-gai Council’s archaic decision to overturn a policy to allow circuses with exotic animals back on to council land".

Sign and make a difference in Australia

Please take a minute to “sign” the petition online. It’s easy – just click here. We have until Tuesday, 24 August to get enough signatures to have this ridiculous decision reversed.
]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100822-073427 No Author Sun, 22 Aug 2010 14:34:27 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100808-134641
With love and thanks to you all,
Jill

I Rescued a Human Today
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.
]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100808-134641 No Author Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:46:41 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100804-044613




The evening, “Bears on Film”, saw old friends and new supporters meeting together at the British Consulate-General – a venue kindly arranged by generous long-standing supporter Caroline Sprod (pictured here with husband Ali Bullock who has also been so generously helping us with his photography skills - together with lovely assistant Mandy - both last year and this.




The film drew gasps of sadness from the audience as, this year, we have deliberately featured the more stark reality of bear farming in the hope that supporters everywhere can help us to spread the word responsibly and help to accelerate the end of this truly hideous practice.

Our heartfelt thanks to Charles Edwards and his team at Media Village who, together with Patrick Tom and our own Marketing Director Juanita, worked so hard in the creation of this hard-hitting update of our work, and of course to Karen Mok and her family (mum Eleanor, dad Alan and brother Trevor) for their long-standing support of the bears and deep commitment to our work and goal of ending bear farming Asia-wide. Karen also graciously agreed to be our Asia Patron and we look forward to working more closely together into the future to help protect all animals across the Asian continent.




Grateful thanks too to Henry and Kitty Wong, who so generously sponsored the whole production and distribution of the film. And lastly big bear hugs to lovely Andy Chworowsky, who did such a fantastic job as MC.




Please click here to watch “Stain” and another striking clip that Karen has made for us, “Poison”, and click here to watch “Moon Bear Rescue: A decade on …”. For more about our moving new documentary, please see here.



]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100804-044613 No Author Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:46:13 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100731-074655
Our thanks from sanctuaries in China and Vietnam - and, of course, from our lucky bear residents - for so creatively spreading the word to help the bears they've left behind on the farms.

First a wonderful "Bear-a-thon created and promoted by teacher Maria Cristina Bazzotti and her students in Riccione, Italy where Maria Cristina explains in her own words....

On a bright Sunday morning – whilst a local TV and radio were broadcasting non-stop about the imprisonment of the Chinese moon bears on the bile farms – a crowd of more than 150 self motivated people gathered together (some of them with their pets) to show what cruelty can be. We started our dignified march in a high mood followed by some unexpected sympathisers joining us and loudly pronouncing the motto "Save the moon bears". I was so excited (all of us actually) that I realized how many we were just when I turned my head back: a multitude of determined children wearing white T-shirts with a bear black paw hand printed on each one of them: "Save the moon bears - Bear-a-thon Riccione 2010 for AAF". We ended up in a lovely square with a big fountain in Piazzale Roma to take snaps, hand candies out to everyone, make a lot of speeches, explaining, dancing and singing for the moon bears.

We do like to think that our songs and hymns devoted to the bears could reach their solitude and pain as a promise of a future liberation...It's said that the universe came out from the creative Will, carried by a sound: We do hope our sound could reach the sense of compassion and mercy of the Ones who have got the power to change things.

This event gave children a sense of personal-growth, of commitment and empathy that humbled me a great deal. A great success to us teachers. An event should be nice to repeat next year on a larger scale. But the photos speak better than my words...







And from Nicky in our UK office who writes about a marvelous East meets West competition which joined school children from China and the UK eagerly together to help the bears. (This truly beautiful art from both events will be displayed along the walkway of one of our bear houses in Chengdu – much to the delight of visitors and bears alike!)

Forty-five children from Years 5 and 6 from Hermitage Junior School in Surrey were the pioneers in the first joint venture with pupils from Jinguan Yi Primary School in China. They were all invited to take part in a writing or painting competition designed to highlight the plight of the moon bears. The top 20 entries from each school were taken to our Chengdu sanctuary, where Jill judged their entries.

Jill had a fantastic afternoon looking at each and every entry, but had a much harder task in selecting the winners. Eventually, she selected the winners – Rebecca Littlefield, Lily Assinder, Bailey Elen-Coghlan, Shruti Attard and Benedex Horvarth from Hermitage School and Zhong Ping, Chen Xueke, Sheng Xinyi, Li Zeyu and Huang Niwei from Jinguan Yin primary school. Their fabulous artworks are on display at our moon bear sanctuary education centre. There they provide an impressive display for all visitors, emphasising the global concern amongst even young children for the moon bears and their desire to see bear bile farming ended forever.





And just recently, Melbourne supporters Nicole and Siggi returned to Chengdu, where Nicole saw through her previous promise to the bears – to paint them. Nicole’s art is well known in Melbourne and now in other states of Australia following our recent Roadshow. Nicole generously offered some of her beautiful pieces for our silent auctions across the country. It was a pleasure to see them both on site again and to see the results of Nicole’s truly creative talent – now gracing the side of House 2 for staff and visitors to enjoy.




]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100731-074655 No Author Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:46:55 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100728-073536
Click here to read the latest news on these three beautiful bears.


]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100728-073536 No Author Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:35:36 GMT http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100727-171526



]]> http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry100727-171526 No Author Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:15:26 GMT