Project update - December 2005

End bear farming in China is now official EU policy

Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) have done it! In the nick of time, before the end of the current parliamentary session, they got the signatures of the majority of the European Union Members of Parliament in support of an end to bear farming in China.

A euphoric Dave Neale, UK Director of AAF states;

"It is only the 3rd Declaration to be passed in this Parliamentary session which began in 2004 and hundreds have already failed. 'Ending Bear Farming in China' is now official European Union Policy, with members from all 25 Member states calling for an end to bear farming. The Members represent the wishes of the people of their country and therefore this means that the people of Austria, Belguim, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, all want to see an end to bear farming in China.

It has been a truly amazing effort from all involved and a truly amazement achievement for the bears.

And the greatest Christmas present that we could have hoped for."

And in another heartwarming story from DSWF supported AAF:

Animals Asia Foundation takes delivery of four more bears rescued from Chinese bear bile farms

Animals Asia has just taken delivery of four new rescued bears, three males and one female. One of the males has been sponsored by Dr Dame Jane Goodall and was named by her during her visit to the sanctuary last week during his health check. AAF's Founder, Jill Robinson reports:

"She chose the name Mandela because, like Nelson Mandela, these bears are so forgiving after years of confinement and suffering in prison. A young to middle-aged bear, he was violently stereotypic on arrival, which led to the decision to cut him out of the cage first. Mandela has hyperkeratotic foot pads; cracked and dry from years in a cage unable to stand on solid ground. Head wounds and scarring all over his body (particularly on his bony bottom) from lying on unrelenting bars. His canine teeth have deep ridges from stereotypic bar biting and he is skeleton thin. His lovely yellow crescent only emphasised his bony chest and he looked so tiny and vulnerable laid out on the tarpaulin during the examination. A free drip healed site with "something" detected on the ultrasound - and he'll be prioritised for surgery once the other three have been cut out of their cages. Mandela was actually "baptised" by Jane in front of the Chinese media as she poured water on his head and named him. With a kiss on the nose and some Rescue Remedy under his tongue, Jane bid a quiet goodbye and good luck to her bear."

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