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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I’ll never forget what an amazing start we had to 2013, and it signals an optimistic and hopefully incredible year ahead.
Just a few days into New Year, Toby, our China Relations Director, called to say that we should prepare to receive six bears from an illegal bile farm.
Sichuan Forestry inspectors had found a farm operating against regulations and decided to close it down, confiscating the bears and placing them under our care. Of course this is the tip of the iceberg and we know that even the legal farms are all holding bears in hideous conditions, but let’s celebrate this positive step forward and use the wretched victims we rescue to continue exposing the truth of bear bile farming in China.
Joy and relief in Vietnam
Shortly after Toby’s call, Tuan, our Vietnam Director rang too and, immediately from the tone of his voice, I knew this was going to be good news as well. In a word....VICTORY.
The eviction of our sanctuary would NOT be going ahead. Mr Tuan from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development contacted us with the news after several meetings with the Prime Minister. Most importantly, there would be no compromise to our original project agreement and we could now carry on as before.
The news couldn’t be better – our staff, sanctuary and bears are all safe and we can now go full steam ahead and build new enclosures to bring more bear bile farming victims "home".
Our endless thanks to each and every one of you who helped us in this victory for justice..... Tuan and team especially have experienced a truly awful few months of uncertainty, all with the threat of having to move bears back into cages while something, somewhere, new could be built. And all the while our 77 local staff members not knowing if their jobs were safe, or if they could continue to provide for their families.
True to form, our brave and resilient Vietnam team continued on with the job at hand. While Tuan led a brilliant political strategy, our staff on site, led by Vet and Bear Team Director Annemarie, made sure that each day continued as "normal", with the bears having their choices and freedom as before. Endless thanks to you all, superb and professional team.
Six new bears in China
Meanwhile in Chengdu, on Wednesday the 9th of January, our new bile farm bears arrived, and once again the shocking truth of this shameful, legal industry in China, arrived with them too.
Although she was second from the front on the truck, Shamrock was the first bear to catch our attention, with her matted fur and a badly scarred and worn face from years of bar rubbing on the farm. Such was her terror from the journey by road and arriving in an unfamiliar place that, at one point, she literally hung off the top bars of her cage like a bat. That evening she trembled and moaned in her cage as the team prioritised the bears for emergency health checks and settled them down for the night. How could she know in those first few hours that our presence meant help rather than harm?
Three days later, a totally different bear started to emerge. Her health check saw us cut away Shamrock’s matted facial fur to find a stunningly beautiful member of the moon bear species underneath.
It also saw tears as she woke in her straw lined recovery cage and stretched, then stretched some more......slowly realising through her haze that she was now in a different, more comfortable and kinder world. And from there, no going back as she became more trusting, relishing every scrap of fresh food, even playing with toys, and finally having her painful, diseased gall bladder removed. She has one of the most beautiful crescent moons we have ever seen.
The other bears were no different on arrival – starving and terrified. Many just lunged for food as they came off the truck. Once they took a quick bite, they would often retreat as far back into their cages as they could, or engage in violent stereotypic behavior: thrashing, weaving and huffing in their terror and fear.
Cage under two feet high
For Peter, there was nowhere to retreat as he arrived in one of the smallest cages we’d ever seen – approximately 3 feet long, by 1 foot 8 inches wide, and just under 2 feet high. For the second largest bear in the group weighing 107 kgs, it was incomprehensible to think that he’d hardly moved in years.
Later, as he slept under anaesthetic and we uncurled him from his rusting coffin cage, we felt it would be a miracle if he had the proper use of his limbs. But, as so often happens, the bears surprise us with their stoicism and their determination never to look back.
The first hour or so after coming round, saw Peter’s back legs (and consequently the recovery cage) shaking from his effort to stand on all fours, and it was clear that he really didn't know what to do with his legs. His nerves too were in shreds, and he jumped in fright at the slightest movement, huffing at everyone in fear and anxiety, until he was satisfied that nothing was going to cause him harm.
Still this brave bear persevered – and today he has it all worked out. This bright and curious hero is standing tall, calmly contemplating not only his new surroundings, but us. A bear with the most handsome face in the world, Peter loves his food, he loves his browse and straw, and most of all he loves his bamboo toys.
Celebrities offer support
Peter also loves his new friend – none other than distinguished actor and our UK ambassador, Peter Egan, who flew 12,000 miles to meet him, and after whom Peter bear is named.
During his brief couple of days on site, Peter saturated himself with the truth of the industry, met the whole team, and said a warm hello to his new ursine friend. A wonderful man, Peter wasn't afraid to let his emotions show as he joined our whole team on site and immersed himself in the day to day management and operation of the sanctuary. It hardly seems a week since he returned to the UK, but he has left an indelible mark on us all – and Peter we all hope you can return again very, very soon.
Just before Peter arrived, we had another lovely celebrity on site – Chinese actress, Sun Li. She too flew in, all too briefly, to see the bear we had named after her. Walking carefully into the quarantine area with Nic, our Vet and Bear Team Director, and Lucky, our China PR and Education Manager, she immediately gave her bear a permanent name – Xuan Xuan, which is the name of the famous character she played in her latest TV drama in China.
Here is Sun Li on site and with Xuan Xuan during her surgery. The next pic is Nic and me checking on Xuan Xuan when she was still in her awful farm cage. She loves her new straw bed.
Once she returned to Shanghai, Sun Li began sharing her experience on Weibo (China’s version of Twitter) which was then also shared by her celebrity friends. To date, the story has been shared over 14,000 times – a massive thank you from us all Sun Li!
Shocking internal damage
As of today, Peter and all five females – Shamrock, Buddha, Xuan Xuan, Toby and Katie – have had surgery to remove their diseased and chronically painful gall bladders, and all are well on their way to recovering and at last getting the care they need.
Buddha’s gall bladder was horrific – three times its normal size, inflamed, thickened and causing unimaginable pain.
If we thought that was bad, nothing prepared us for the shock of seeing Toby's gall bladder a few days later. Ten times the normal size, watermelon shaped and containing nearly two litres of "liquid pus". No one knows the agony she endured.
We nicknamed Toby after our China Relations Director, Toby Zhang (sorry Toby, I was convinced she was a he!). I must pay tribute to Toby who has headed up a remarkable campaign to "End Bear Bile Farming" during these past few years. He has led us to the stage where we have now turned a corner, and this year will be exceptionally busy, as we see the next waves of public outrage in support of ending the industry once and for all. Here's Toby clipping the overgrown claws of his namesake.
Peter bear was on the surgery table for gall bladder removal this week, and at the other end of the scale in terms of size, he had the smallest and strangest gall bladder "type" organ we had ever seen.
About a quarter of the normal size – it seemed to be just the cystic duct – and now has vets Jo and Jen puzzled as they try to work out what on earth happened to Peter's missing gall bladder? Of course theories abound from all in the team here as we try not to think of the fact that every gall bladder has a value. Could Peter’s have been removed for profit, while the farmers continued trying (and then failing) to extract bile straight from his bile duct?
All recovering from surgery
Finally, the last of the six - beautiful Katie - was on the surgery table on Thursday. Poor girl had a horribly thickened and inflamed gall bladder containing the familiar "black sludge" bile we've seen so many times before. Infected, diseased and contaminated bile which would have found its way into so many medicines and preparations if Katie's bile was still being extracted on the farm.
Nothing changes...... the deceit and the diabolical treatment the bears receive on the farms. The operation they suffer to create the open "fistula" is deliberate surgical mutilation, and every such procedure causes a ripple effect resulting in the "broken bears" we eventually receive. It is morally and ethically wrong and even if the bears appear marginally healthy on the farms, the grim reality is that they are slowly dying from within.
When we finally say goodbye to our rescued bears, often after years of living happily at our sanctuary (and despite ongoing veterinary care), it will invariably be from a variety of cancers, peritonitis, or mobility problems of their limbs or spine – all as a result of the shocking abuse they received on the farms.
Thank you all
In that context, my respect for our staff in China and Vietnam knows no bounds. While they work diligently and conscientiously throughout these days, they suffer each day too, as they bear witness to a multitude of injuries and disease suffered so long by the bears. And each year we bury beautiful bears, so tenderly nurtured back to health and loved so much.
Our teams across the globe also continue to do the animals proud, tirelessly and seamlessly exposing the shame of bear bile farming, with the tenacity and passion that will see this industry closed down.
And never, ever forgetting YOU, our loyal friends worldwide who have helped so kindly along the way, joining and supporting us on this journey until the end.
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Vicki, one of our vet nurses on site, and also Muppet's “other” mum, joined Suki, Jenny, Lucky, Icy, Hoy and I at a fabulous "Friends or Food" event at a famous bookstore (Wen Xuan) in a shopping precinct in Chengdu.
This was Muppet's second official outing as an ambassador for "meat dogs" in China and despite a few moments of nerves faced with such a large crowd, he braved it out and did stormingly well.
The children had previously been briefed how to approach dogs safely and Vicki and I were inundated with polite requests of "Please may I stroke your dog.". Once they received the nod, they gently held out their little hands to Muppet’s nose for a sniff, before stroking his soft head.
We explained Muppet's past and how he had been found caged on the back of a truck together with about 800 other dogs on their way to a meat market in the south.
The children were sad for his past – and for all the dogs still being killed in the meat industry - and proudly held up placards and cards with the words:
"Caring for animals. I will."
“Support anti-abuse. I will.”
"Anti dog and cat eating. I promise."
"A lifetime love for cats and dogs. I will."
The children also signed a banner which read "Caring for animals starts with me" and shared their own feelings in writing on the banner too.
A little girl named Deng Yuzhuo wrote the words: "We should love dogs first, then dogs will love us more."
And another called Luo Ruixin, who was kindergarten age, drew two hearts on the banner, and told Suki while she couldn't write yet, she still wanted to show people that we should love all animals.
Suki and team organised a wonderful afternoon, and Muppet really did us (and his species) proud. A touching afternoon sharing time with a whole new generation of passionate ambassadors for the animal welfare movement in China.
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As we prepare for the start of a new year fighting bear bile farming in China, our team here has designed four fabulous postcards to help spread the message countrywide. The postcards feature stunning images donated by four talented and passionate artists who have used their creativity to speak from the hearts of the bears.
This first beautiful Christmas image comes from our friend and amazing artist Richard Symonds in the UK who kindly designed our Christmas cards this year.
Famous Chinese artist Zeng Jianyong who recently held a much publicised event of his work in Hong Kong and created this breathtaking, vulnerable image of a bear cub in a cage.
Another friend of the bears, Song Weiwei, designed this confronting image, which graphically shows the horror of the bile trade, while conveying the message that bears and humans share much in common.
And last, but not least, illustrator Han Lili created this adorable image of brain-damaged Rupert and tiny Franzi who lived happily together for many years at our China sanctuary, before sadly passing away within six months of each other in 2009/10
Our grateful thanks to you all for the poignant and compelling voice you have given to the tortured bears in China - may they all know freedom soon.
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On this special New Year's Eve, here a few words of thanks sent earlier to our special family of Board and staff, and with every word now sincerely extended to you, with our grateful thanks for your never ending help and support.
**
With Christmas now behind and the new year looming ahead, this is the perfect time to send a short, but no less sincere message, with thanks and love to you all for being so brilliant throughout another difficult year.
As our relentless and patient Vietnam team continues fighting the battle against corruption, we wait with baited breath for the Prime Minister to make what will hopefully be the right decision and that we be allowed to remain where we are. Thank you all everywhere for working so hard on this issue, which none of us expected in our wildest dreams from those who are supposedly our allies in Vietnam.
In China, the latest news is that bear farming is being held even more to scrutiny by legal experts, with the practice called to task for not adhering to the true spirit of the wild animal law. Interesting times as ever, and the coming weeks and months are set to be busy again for the whole China team as more waves are set in motion to keep "Ending Bear Farming" on the map across the country. Thanks again to you all for working either in front of, or behind, the scenes and towards creating the final tidal wave this industry needs to see it obliterated once and for all.
Dogs and cats too have seen a truly superb year of public education in China, with our Cat and Dog Welfare team kept super busy working with school and hospital authorities, together with dozens of local welfare groups across the country. Here again, the "debate" is growing in intensity and it's good to see the Chinese public seizing the campaign and presenting informed and intelligent arguments against the consumption of our companion animal friends.
In that sense, the progress allows us to reflect on other animals looked on as food and similarly exploited, and the compassionate circle widens to include captive animals historically left out in the cold - whether in zoos or in farms. This is where all in our Animal Welfare and Zoos and Safari Parks teams have excelled in the past year in raising the profile of misery for them all. The conferences and workshops speak for themselves and, once again, 2013 is going to be another busy year as the opportunity for expanding on these presents itself and starts widening yet another debate in China.
With our three spearhead programmes forging ahead, it's to the credit of everyone on our Board, management and our country and admin offices that they continue to grow and inspire; the backbone of good governance, housekeeping and integrity that our supporters both trust and endorse. Thank you all, again, for a foundation we can simply be proud of in doing the right thing for both the animals and people of this world.
At the end of another year, let me leave you with a link to some special words from our friends Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff where they offer 12 "millennial mantras" which, were everyone in the world to read them, might see a different, certainly less violent, earth than we live on today. Jane and Marc combine the intelligence and compassion of two people who give every one of us "reason for hope" - with Jane and her unwavering belief in the "indomitable human spirit", and Marc relentlessly urging that each of us try to tread compassionate footprints throughout every day of our lives.
I hope we can continue to be the whistle blowers that Marc and Jane refer to as well - whether as part of the Animals Asia family, or in our individual lives, when things become too much to bear and we are compelled to speak out. Read their post here.
With love and thanks again to you all for the 2013 all animals deserve, and with the last, most appropriate, words belonging to our beautiful rescued "meat market dog", To Zhai, Jillx
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