SAVE THE BEARS FROM A LIFETIME OF PAIN AND SUFFERING
| Published: 28th October 2006 12:11 |
I would just like to raise your awareness about a local support group 'All about South Devon Animals Asia support Group'.
They campaign to help the rescue of moonbears which are kept in captivity in Asia.
In farms across China, Asiatic Black Bears are imprisioned for up to 22 years in tiny metal cages no bigger than their own bodies.
(The most recent Government figure is 7,002 farmed bears.)
These bears are known as Moon Bears because of the beautiful golden crescents on their chests. These bears are milked daily for their bile through rusting metal catheters implanted deep within their gall bladders . Some bears have a permanently open, (often infected) hole in their abdomen. this is known as the 'free dripping method'. The bears live a life of torture before dying agonisingly slowly as a result of chronic infection.
The bile is ued to make so called medications including aphrodisiacs.
Following her horrific discovery of bear farming in 1993, Animals Asia founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE, began tireless work within China, resolutely building relationships and negotiating with government departments to bring an end to this cruel practice.
Since October 2001, 41 of these farms have been closed down by the government and over 184 bears have been released into the care of Animals in Asia at their rescue centre in Sichuan.
The bears arrive at the centre in the most shocking condition, bone thin, desperately ill and terrified. They are in urgent need of veterinary attention, extensive surgery and tender loving care.
The ongoing rehabilitation of the bears takes many months. The integration proces of rescued bears is carefully monitored by the team. Sadly these bears cannot be release into the wild, many are defensless or disabled, others were bred in captivity or snared as cubs and thus have not learnt vital survival skills from their mothers.
Animals Asia has constructed exciting and innovative rehabilitation areas and beautiful bamboo forest zones, which ensure that the bears are stimulated, enriched and kept busy throughout the day.
Bear bile has been used in Traditional Medicine for over 3,000 years - but the practice of bear farming way only introduced in the 1980's in a misguided attempt to protect wild populations.
It is estimated that fewer than 15,000 Moon Bears are left in the wild in China. Allthough it is illegal to kill Moon Bears or export bear bile and bile products, Moon Bears are still hunted for their whole gall bladders or trapped as an illegal source of new stock for the farms.
Today Chinese doctors agree that bear bile can easily be replaced with herbal and synthetic alternatives, which are both inexpensive and effective.
Funds are urgently needed for our eduction villiage, sanctuary construction,, Veterinary costs and the ongoing care of the bears.
Your support will directly contribute towards their work in ending the practice of bear farming and in the rehabilitation of farmed bears from their suffering.
ANIMALS IN ASIA
UK OFFICE
PO Box 835 UXBRIDGE
UB9AX
ENGLAND
TEL: 0870 2413723
FAX: 0870 2256062
WEBSITE www.animalsasia.org
Your local contact is Colin and you can email him at:
spirit.bear02@tiscali.co.uk
The people of south devon has so far, raised funds to be able to adopt two bears: Stardust and Sunbear, both of whom are now living in the sanctuary.
A fantastic achievment!
ANIMALS IN ASIA (WSPA)
The ANIMALS ASIA GROUP will be Having a Table and Collection At Trago Mills on Saturday 3rd of March (allday)
Please come along and Support the Bears *Cats &Dogs in asia,
Thank you , Colin spirit.bear02@tiscali.co.uk
The Event in Trago Mills on theBovey Tracey Road , turn off to Trago Mills at the min Round about by the Golf Course , Look Forward to seeing you.
ALSO
WILL BE HAVING A COLLECTION AND TABLE IN COURTENAY STREET
BY MARKET WALK IN NEWTON ABBOT
THIS WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY THE 7TH OF JULY
THEY URGENTLY NEED VOLUNTEER HELPERS
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN HELP - PLEASE CONTACT COLIN
colinspirit.bear02@tiscali.co.uk
Around 5,500 European Brown Bears live in the wild in Romania unfortunately they are subject to illegal capture and used as exhibition animals. Approximately 50 bears are kept in captivity around Romania, most living in cramped conditions in cages. They are used mainly as tourist attractions by restaurants.
Many of these bears were originally taken from the wild as cubs and their mothers shot. Bears are hunted and culled when they come near human populations in search of food.
WSPA is building a bear sanctuary to enable the re-homing of bears that are illegally kept (e.g. in restaurants) and thus enable the government to enforce the existing law which forbids any individaul from keeping a wild animal captive. Where appropriate orphaned cubs will be rehabilitated and returned to the wild.
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