China's Shocking DOG and CAT fur trade.
'Pet' Foods and Animal Testing Policies.
Circuses.com: Please say "No", because animals can't.
(If you find this post informative, you might like to check out these.)
Bears have a special soft spot on my heart (yes, another soft spot among many) . Especially what they go through to provide Traditional Chinese Medicine with what is easily available in pill form that does not involve such cruelty, among assorted cruelties we inflict on them. Yes, I’m talking about the Moon Bears of China, who are held captive by their bile.
What is Bear Bile Farming? Check out animalsasia.org’s bear pages through this page or this list on WSPA
- First Asiatic black bear survey in China
- WSPA’s micro chipping programme reaps rewards
- WSPA Feeds Minds at ‘Taste of Asia’ Festival
- What is bear bile?
- The suffering involved
- WSPA’s Mechanical Bear
- Illegal trade
- History of bear farming
- Bear farming and conservation
- Alternatives to bear bile
- Ending bear farming in Asia
- Methods of bile extraction
- Bear Farming
I have a date with the bears tonight. Please do try to check out this wonderful documentary too. It airs tonight and tomorrow.
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Watch Animal Planet’s “Moon Bears: Journey to Freedom” tonight, Friday 22′nd June or tomorrow, Saturday 23′rd June!
Dear calsifer,
Last year Animal Planet were on site with us in Chengdu shooting a One-Hour Special, “Moon Bears: Journey to Freedom”. The programme is screening again tonight and tomorrow in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines and Thailand at the following times. (NB all times listed are Singapore/Hong Kong time):
Friday 22′nd June
20:00Saturday 23′rd June
02:00
06:00
14:00Please do your utmost to watch it. This exciting documentary showcases the growing support in China sparked by our work to end bear farming and is a wonderful in depth behind the scenes look at the daily trials and tribulations.
We always remember that this journey has only been made possible through the fantastic support of each and everyone of you. Please do tune in, meet many of the wonderful bears and see how our work has sparked a seachange in attitudes towards animal welfare throughout China.
Warm wishes,
Annie
Annie Mather
Executive Director, Head of Media
Now to the question burning in your mind – why another soft spot, why bears?
This is a good list of the things that bears suffer, because of our fellow man. Is it exhaustive? Hardly. But it is a decent start-list.
- Bear-bile Farming in China
- Bear Bile Farming Justification on China’s US Embassy site
- Un-bear-able: China’s cruel animal Olympics reach new heights
- Bear-bile farming in Vietnam
- Study: Bear Farming and Trade in China and Taiwan
- Bear Parts trade
- Japanese Bear Parks
- Dancing Bears in India/Pakistan
- Bear-baiting in Pakistan
- Brown Bear Hunting in Russia (hunt-advocate site shows how senseless is our fellow men’s lust for blood). In Russia, it is popular to hunt hibernating bears: the sleeping giants are dug out from dens and shot point-blank, and if it’s a mother that gets killed, her cubs left for dead or sold to live short tragic lives as pets and curios
- Aftermath: Rescuing Orphan Bear Cubs (pdf)
- Entertainment of the cowardly noveau rich: CNN coverage of the savage act
- Polar Bears – dying because climate changes, changes we wrought. I watched the debut of the Polar Bear documentary on June 9, Animal Planet’s Vanishing Ice series. The last image of the emaciated female 2 year old walking into the shadows, sure to die before she can succour her wasting body is burnt onto my mind.
- Polar bears drown – a unbelievable reality
- Living on thin ice
- Cruelty in Eastern Europe/ the Balkans region
- (apparently) Last dancing bear in Europe freed. It is a heart-warming story, but I do not think he’s the last one… there’s more work to do. Perhaps someday we can truly say no bear will be made to learn dancing on hot metal surfaces, but not now, imo.
- Bear Markets of Indonesia (pdf). I quote “A few Singaporeans and other researchers also stated that Malayan sun bears were also destined for consumption, usually for bear paw soup, which is consumed in Singapore for example.” So much for enforcement and being signatory to CITES and so on.
Bears are often seen as lumbering giants who have nothing to fear. While it is mind-boggling, the truth is bears everywhere need saving, from us.
(If you find this post informative, you might like to check out these.)
Filed under: Abuse and Cruelty, Advocacy, Animals, Asia, Endangered species, News, Rambling / Minion wunderings, SOS Asia, Singapore, World
Looking for caregivers in these areas
Tag, you’re it! Join the Save the Bears, Save the World Meme started by FiveCatsMom. Stop bear bile farming today.
http://fivecats.blogspot.com/2007/07/save-bears-save-world_13.html#links
Thanks for the meme, FiveCatsMom. Did you watch the docu? I cried near the end, for various reasons, one of them being the recent death of Andrew, AnimalsAsia’s first bear rescue. He’s a sweetie and is the cutie on the org’s wriststrap (can be viewed on their Gift Shop accessed here… which I treasure very much.
[...] exploitation? Multiply it by a thousand and you would probably still not be able to imagine what bears being milked for bile endure everyday of their confined lives across bear bile farms in China and much of North Asia, [...]