The UK celeBEARates all things bear
It’s 20 years since Jill first discovered a bear bile farm and while the journey is far from over, we believe it is time to celebrate what we have achieved so far with your help.
To mark this year, we’re holding a national poetry competition and we hope you will feel inspired to pen a poem in honour of our brave, beautiful bears.
Entries are already coming in, and Emily in our Cornwall office, who is collating the poems, is one minute moved to tears and the next laughing with joy as she reads them. With two entry categories – one for adults (aged 17 and over) and one for young people (aged 8-16), we are expecting many more entries before the closing date of 24 May.
The winning entries will be read to supporters by actors Peter Egan (Animals Asia Ambassador) and Rula Lenska at our Gala Evening on Thursday 13 June at the London Rowing Club.
Find out more here.
The other fun activity the UK has lined up mark our anniversary and the vital role of our supporters in helping us is a Family bear Day with Teddy Bears’ Picnic on Sunday 14 April at Frensham Heights School in Farnham, Surrey.
As well as sharing updates on our Befriend a Bear and Sponsor a Bear schemes we’ve got activities lined up for all the family including a teddy bears’ picnic, a bear wish tree and treasure hunt. There will be also be live link up at 12pm from China with Jill.
And of course we could never forget our four-legged friends who are very welcome in the grounds (on leads) with a fun dog competition (judged by Peter Egan) with over four different categories including scruffiest dog, veteran dog, happiest dog and if you are feeling brave enough a dog and human lookalikes!
Every single one of you is a vital part of our journey and we’d like to thank you at our fun bear day. So please come along and join the fun!
Read more about our family bear day here. We hope to see you there.
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I am delighted to pass over my Blog today to Christa, our Germany Director – and my endless thanks to Denise in Luxembourg for her years of passion and help for the bears. She, like so many friends across the globe, has been moved by the story of our recent rescue in China and has inspired the students of the Robert Schumann School in Luxembourg to rally behind the bears. They have done an amazing job as you can read from Christa here:
“It always fills me with great joy and gratitude to see the commitment of our supporters, especially when it involves children who care about the suffering of animals. On 22 February, students at the Robert Schumann School in Luxembourg presented a fantastic cheque for €1,100 to Denise Kirchen, our tireless friend and representative.
“Late last year, Denise was invited to talk to the students in classes 701, 702 and 705 about the moon bears in China and their sad fate and endless suffering. After an exhibition and screening of our DVD describing our work, the 60 students were so moved that they immediately decided to make a contribution to support the bears.
“Guided by their teachers, they baked a huge pile of bear-cookies and hand sewed their own stuffed bears to sell during the school’s Christmas market. They also put together an exhibition of bear-related artwork and Animals Asia photographs.
“The proceeds of this wonderful action was a whopping €1,100, which was immediately transferred to the donation account of Animals Asia in Luxembourg to provide much-needed medical care and toys for our six newly rescued bears in Chengdu.
“Dear students of classes 701, 702 and 705 – thank you so much for your creativity! You did a wonderful job and made an important contribution for the bears. Bear hugs also to the teachers for their commitment to animals and, of course, especially to our own Denise Kirchen!”
Thank you all – so very much – for being on this journey, until bear farming ends....
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Just a simple but heartfelt message from all in the team to say how much we love you for loving and helping the bears, dogs, cats and all animals of Asia....
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Just recently we had a special guest along for a Dr Dog visit in Chengdu - UK actor Peter Egan who had come over to see the bears (particularly his namesake, newly rescued Peter bear) but then readily agreed to join us in a trip to see some elderly folk at Xi Shu Rui Yuan community at this very special time of Chinese New Year.
Meeting three of our Dr Dog volunteers and their beautiful canine therapists, our first stop was up a couple of floors and into the little room of Mr Lei Shue Dei who is a sprightly, and very cuddly, 78 years old!
Mr Lei is a master of Chinese paper cutting, and after enjoying a few hugs and games with the dogs, he invited us to go back downstairs to the lobby (where there was more room) in order to teach us how to make the words for "spring" and "Chinese New Year".
Peter was first to finish, and we all proudly showed off our work of art while Mr Lei rather politely laughed and congratulated us on a pretty clumsy, but no less enthusiastic, effort. At one point Peter was delighted to be serenaded by another resident who sang Chinese opera and showed off a loud and tuneful voice.
One of the things we'd just noticed in Mr Lei's room was that had been watching his little TV on a simple wooden chair and we all felt that he could do with something more comfortable to enjoy his relaxation and rest.
A plot was hatched. Back at our bear sanctuary we spoke to all staff asking if everyone would like to contribute just a couple of RMB (a penny/cent or two) in order to surprise Mr Lei with his very own comfy chair. Before we knew it the funds had come in and Suki, Jenny and Saber all swung in to action and kindly found a chair with a foot rest that would be just the job.
Just this past week, with the care centre's permission and help, we all knocked on Mr Lei's door with his Chinese New Year surprise. Unfortunately the chair came flat packed but, luckily for us, one of the Dr Dog volunteers and a centre employee knew exactly what to do and, before long, the comfy chair was made!
The pictures say it all - and although they show Mr Lei trying it out, it's clear that his little body needs some bolstering for extra comfort and, as I write, Suki and team are now arranging a nice plump cushion - and a blanket - so that he is warm and snug for the Spring Festival.
A big thank you to all our kind hearted staff in Chengdu for contributing to such a special surprise for one very sweet elderly gentleman, who showed us such hospitality and talent and another interesting side of Chinese life.
A big thank you to Mr Lei, who made for us this beautiful Chinese New Year poster of good luck wishes.
And of course a very warm and happy Lunar New Year to you from us all at Animals Asia.
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To hear vet Monica talking to camera in the surgery about our gorgeous Oliver while he was gently sleeping on the operating table was like listening to the worst kind of horror film.
I thought her "sound bite" would never end as she described his stunted body, his arthritis and mobility problems, his stiff old limbs that can never extend normally like a healthy bear, his compressed lungs from wearing a full metal jacket so tightly around his chest for decades on the farm, his enlarged heart as a result of it working harder throughout these years, his broken and compromised teeth, and now an eye with lens luxation which was obviously blind and potentially causing him pain.
Thankfully everything has been fixed or managed beautifully over the past three years since we rescued him in April 2010 (after 30 years in a bile farm cage), but it was clear that the eye now needed removing so that he could continue enjoying his peaceful days in the den and pottering around outside.
As ever, our superb vet team rose to the occasion and carried out the surgery with their legendary caring expertise and Oliver soon woke up to a more comfortable world ahead.
Please click here for the full story and to watch the most beautiful video of Oliver - to the appropriate track, "The Broken".
May you enjoy many more springs our beautiful, special bear....
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