Who We Are

About Us:

Animals Asia is devoted to ending bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. We promote compassion and respect for all animals and work to bring about long-term change.

Founded in 1998, the Animals Asia team has been rescuing bears since 1994. We operate award winning bear rescue sanctuaries in China and Vietnam, and we are the only organisation with a bear sanctuary in China. Our founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE, Dr.med.vet. h.c., Hon LLD is widely recognised as the world’s leading authority on the cruel bear bile industry, having campaigned against it since 1993.

Our work focuses on three major programmes:

End Bear Bile Farming

Animals Asia works to end the bear bile trade, which sees over 10,000 bears – mainly moon bears but also sun bears and brown bears – kept on bile farms across Asia. It has rescued more than 600 bears from the industry since it was established.

After years of cooperation, Animals Asia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnam Government to completely End Bear Bile Farming in Vietnam by 2022. This includes rescuing and rehoming approximately 600 bears that remain on farms in Vietnam, where bear bile farming is illegal.

In China, we also have consensus from the authorities to work towards the ending of the trade, allowing us to operate two bear rescue facilities in Chengdu and Nanning. We continue to work with the farmers, the government, traditional medical associations and community to build trust and awareness around the animal welfare issues associated with the trade, highlight the dangers that consumption of wildlife products like bear bile present to humans, and promote the use of synthetic and plant based substitutes to bear bile as a more humane alternative.

Cat and Dog Welfare

Animals Asia works to end the trade in dogs and cats for food in Asia, collaborates with governments and NGO's to improve the welfare of companion animals, and promotes humane population management.

Captive Animal Welfare

Animals Asia campaigns for an end to abusive animal practices in zoos and safari parks in Southeast Asia, and works closely with governing authorities and facilities to improve animal management and increase awareness of the welfare needs of captive wild animals.

Vision, mission and values

Our approach

Change through empathy:

We work with animal ambassadors who embody the ideal that empathy for one animal can evolve into empathy for an entire species and ultimately for all species.

Negotitaion:

We take a non-partisan, sensitive approach in working with governments, authorities, experts and local communities. We work with, not against, people to find sustainable solutions for all parties.

Education:

We inform and empower local communities for the welfare of animals and people, promoting change at the grass-roots level. We promote alternatives to animal products for use in traditional medicine through our Healing without Harm campaign.

Investigation:

We work with vet and bear-care teams, field officers and a network of research scientists, university students, pathologists and traditional medicine doctors to investigate the bear bile industry, the trade in cats and dogs for their meat, and cruelty to animals in captivity – and use this knowledge to fight against these practices.

Our locations

Animals Asia is a registered charity with bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam, headquarters in Hong Kong, and offices in Australia, China, Germany, Italy, the UK, USA and Vietnam. We have a total of 413 staff, with 320 based in China and Vietnam, 35 in our Hong Kong headquarters and 58 across our other offices.