| It’s been an amazing few weeks in China, with the people standing up against bear farming like never before. Massive countrywide condemnation of the bear-bile industry is saturating the news and putting bear farmers on the defensive.
We’ve been working to end bear farming in China for nearly two decades, and we’ve never seen anything like this. In February alone, more than 8,000 articles related to our work to end bear farming ran in the Chinese press. And hundreds of thousands of people went online to voice their outrage at an industry that cages bears for life and abuses them beyond belief.
The unprecedented outcry was sparked by an attempt by bear-bile business Guizhentang to list on the Shenzhen stock exchange, and the company’s outrageous claim that the bears felt no pain during bile extractions. Guizhentang is still awaiting approval for its initial public offering, which it hopes will finance the expansion of its bear farm, from 400 bears to 1,200.
Local journalists invited to the company’s bear farm to witness a bear being milked of bile in an apparently pain-free procedure were not impressed, with many claiming it was a staged show. Nor were they fooled when the pro-bear farming China Association of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) made a desperate attack against Animals Asia, accusing us of harming TCM, which of course couldn’t be further from the truth.
We’ve always known that truth was our best weapon — and we’re seeing the results of that now. Many years ago, a sympathetic Chinese official gave me some truly great advice….. he said to start the debate in China. So that’s what we did….. by letting as many people as possible know about the true horror behind the bear-bile industry. And over the past 10 years, we’ve seen a few grumbles grow to a country-wide roar.
 The recent outrage reached its peak when the head of the pro-industry TCM group claimed at a press conference that “the process of extracting bear bile was as easy, natural and painless as turning on a tap”. Flooded with media enquiries, we held our own press conference in Beijing and appealed for a timetable to phase out the industry. The room was packed with Chinese and foreign media.
Given Animals Asia’s unique knowledge of the pathology of “free-drip bears” it wasn’t hard to refute the industry’s claims. Dr Monica Bando, a vet at our China sanctuary, explained the terrible health consequences for bears that had been subjected to this method of bile extraction, which is still permitted in China.
- A study of 165 free-drip bears at our China sanctuary revealed that 99 per cent had cholecystitis;
- 34 per cent had herniation of the abdominal wall; 22 per cent had gallstones;
- 34 per cent had internal abscesses; and 4 per cent had peritonitis.
Monica said most bears came to us with a shocking and painful mix of a number of these pathologies.
Also at the press conference, we released undercover footage of bears on bile farms – excerpts from a new Chinese-language documentary. The shocking footage, which shows appalling levels of cruelty, was filmed secretly over 2009 and 2010 by a team of brave independent Chinese film-makers who posed as buyers to gain entry to bile farms in six provinces.
What a week it was. We even had a visit at our China sanctuary from basketball legend Yao Ming. This amazingly kind and modest man is now one of our strongest voices. And we saw other Chinese celebrities, as well as TCM experts, business leaders, academics and opinion-shapers all stepping up to call for an end to bear farming.
The momentum for change is now at a critical point. I’ve always said that together we could end bear farming….. I truly feel that today we’re closer than ever. Thank you for being such an important part of this amazing journey. Please stay with us now….. and until this terrible cruelty ends for good.
Your gift will help with the vital work at our sanctuaries and in the wider community.
- Animals Asia’s vets continue gathering irrefutable evidence that the bile industry can never be humane….. and their research is revealing real risks to humans who consume the bile from such sick bears.
- Our senior Chinese staff are continuing vital negotiations with leaders in Beijing and decision-makers at the provincial level.
- Our public awareness and education campaigns are having a huge impact in China, changing attitudes among people of all ages….. from schoolchildren to senior citizens.
Please give whatever you can afford….. and help us finish what we started.
Now is the time for bear farming to end. |
Bears kept on bile farms in China and Vietnam are ‘committing suicide’ in an attempt to escape their miserable existence!
