Officially established in 1998, Animals Asia campaigns for improved conditions and rights for various species across Asia. It operates award-winning sanctuaries in Vietnam and China (and is the only organization with a bear sanctuary in the latter).

These sanctuaries are home to hundreds of bears who were rescued from the bile trade.

What is bile farming?

In order to extract bile from their gallbladders, bears are subject to invasive, painful procedures. The bile, thought to have healing properties, is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It also appears in some household products like shampoo and toothpaste.

Demand for bile products comes predominantly from Asia, but such items are also found in Australia, Canada, and the US.

According to Animals Asia, the “cruel” trade is a source of “extreme suffering” for thousands of bears across the world’s largest and most populous continent.

One of the most “humane” bile extraction methods involves creating a permanent open passage in the animals’ gallbladder via their abdomen. The surgery – rarely performed by a veterinarian – often results in infections, many of which become fatal.

The way the animals are housed is similarly disturbing, the charity says. Bears are permanently kept in metal cages; many are so small that bears are left unable to turn around or stand on all fours.

Some bears are caged as cubs, and held captive for up to 30 years.

Rescuing bears from bile farms

Animals Asia has rescued 640 bears from the trade to date. With its bear rescue center in Tam Dao, Vietnam, approaching capacity, the nonprofit has announced a new sanctuary that will take in all of the remaining farmed bears in Vietnam.

The 12-hectare sanctuary, situated in the mountainous surroundings of the Bach Ma National Park, will be unveiled tomorrow (May 27). And when all farmed bears in Vietnam are freed and released into the sanctuary, the country’s bear bile trade will officially be history.

“This is a proud moment for humanity, Animals Asia, Vietnam, and our supporters around the
world”, commented Animals Asia founder and CEO Jill Robinson. “Together, in collaboration with the Vietnam government, we bring about this milestone in protecting wildlife across the country.”

In 2017, Animals Asia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Vietnamese government, committing to the closure of all bear farms in Vietnam.

The MOU outlined an agreement between the two parties, which would see them working together to free the then-1,000 animals who were still in the industry.

Speaking on the new sanctuary, Robinson added: “Today we show that courage, empathy, tenacity, and determination have brought about significant change, as we step up and demonstrate the way forward in helping to save the world’s vulnerable species.”

Celebrity support

A wealth of high-profile names have thrown their support behind Animals Asia and its efforts, including Dame Judi Dench, Alan Cumming, Stephen Fry, James Cromwell, Slash, Kesha, and Peter Egan.

Actors Tara Buck (True Blood), Torrey DeVitto (The Vampire Diaries, Chicago Med), and Marina Squerciati (Chicago P.D) are all in Vietnam to celebrate the unveiling of the sanctuary. They’re joined by television personality Josh Packham (Love Island), photographer Katarina
Benzova, and actor Tang Thanh Ha (Mỹ Nhân Kế).

In a video seen by Plant Based News, Ricky Gervais (who just donated £142,414.47 to Animals Asia), asked the public to “stand by them in this mission” and “raise their paw for the moon bear.”

Dr. Jane Goodall offered her “warm congratulations” to the nonprofit. “Animals Asia is ending bear bile farming in Vietnam,” she said. “To protect these beautiful moon bears, please help Animals Asia build this last bear sanctuary and make sure that in Vietnam, there will be no bear left behind.”

The post Vietnam’s Bile Trade Will Soon Be History As Last 310 Bears Are Rescued appeared first on Plant Based News.

Macaques were the most common circus animal discovered by Animals Asia.

Wildlife trafficking

The report also highlights illegal wildlife trafficking concerns. Between 2008 and 2019, records show that 38 bottlenose dolphins were imported into Vietnam, 33 of which were caught from the wild in Japan.

During the investigation, only four facilities were found hosting dolphin circus shows. This means that several of the dolphins brought into the country previously have already died.

Vietnam isn’t alone. Around the world, a number of tourist attractions make money from abusing animals. In the US, for example, SeaWorld is under constant scrutiny regarding its treatment of orcas, dolphins, and other marine animals in its parks.

The country is also home to more than 3,000 roadside zoos. These are renowned for housing animals like tigers and chimpanzees in concrete enclosures and promoting dangerous interactions with customers. 

Stopping animal exploitation in Vietnam

In Asia, thousands of animals live in zoos and parks, all with ranging standards of animal welfare.

Animals Asia acknowledges that the Vietnamese government is trying to crack down on facilities that exploit animals. Its last report on animal welfare in the country was in 2017. Since then, authorities have started to take action. But more needs to be done.

Dave Neale, the director of Animals Asia, said in a statement: “Since our last report in 2017, our public outreach campaigns, discussions with the authorities and managers of circus facilities, some of them have stopped operating, and many of them have stopped using animals in their shows. But we are still far from ending these performances for good.”

“We call upon the authorities in Vietnam to develop laws that protect animals. To give support to organisations that rescue and rehabilitate these animals, and the circus operators to diversify their business away from using animals,” Neale added.

“We appeal to the public not to support facilities that continue to abuse animals for entertainment.”

The post Animal Abuse Is Rife At Circuses And Amusement Parks In Vietnam, Investigation Reveals appeared first on Plant Based News.

Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Slash, Russell Crowe, Ricky Gervais, Alicia Silverstone, Mayim Bialik, William Shatner, Alan Cumming, Kesha and Joaquin Phoenix are among those pushing to rescue the remaining bears trapped in Vietnamese bile farms. 

What is bear bile farming?

Bear bile farming keeps moon bears captive in order to extract bile from their gallbladders. It began in Asia in the 1980s with the view of using it for medicinal purposes, according to animal protection charity Animals Asia. 

And it does come with benefits, the non-profit clarifies. The bile contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which can be used to treat liver and gallbladder afflictions in humans. 

But obtaining the substance comes at a brutal cost. The trade involves keeping bears in cramped cages and often unhygienic conditions. The extraction process is invasive and results in “unimaginable physical and psychological suffering,” Animals Asia adds. 

Some bears must endure the “free drip” method, whereby a hole is created in the animal’s gallbladder and repeatedly reopened. Others undergo extraction of the bile through a four-inch needle. 

Warning: this slideshow contains distressing images

Is bear bile farming legal?

Bear bile farming was outlawed in Vietnam in 1992. But legal loopholes have allowed producers to continue their operations. Animals are frequently poached from the wild to be used for their bile, which has shaken wild moon bear populations. They are now on the endangered species list. 

In 2017, after years of rallying, the Vietnamese government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Animals Asia. The agreement assigned Animals Asia as its partner in shutting down the trade for good.

The charity is working to rescue the remaining moon bears in Vietnam – it predicts there are around 400 left on Vietnamese farms. However, around 12,000 bears are still living on bile farms across Asia, the organization states.

The rescue mission

Animals Asia’s Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in Tam Dao is almost at full capacity, following the recent rescue of its 651st bear. Many of the rescues were young adults (five years or younger) or cubs, who were just a few months’ old. 

Now, the organization is building a second facility to accommodate the next group of rescued animals. This 12-hectare sanctuary will be located in the Bach Ma National Park in central Vietnam. The charity hopes to save all of Vietnam’s captive moon bears from bile farms by 2026. 

Moon bears living in an animal sanctuary in Vietnam after being rescued from bile farms

Celebrity support

Animals Asia launched a petition to raise awareness of the issue, which includes a pledge to “raise your paw for the moon bear.”

Broadcaster and actor, Fry, has placed his support behind the campaign. “The beautiful moon bear is at risk of becoming extinct in Vietnam if we don’t do something to save them. They have been cruelly farmed for their bile, often ripped from their mothers in the wild when they were just baby cubs,” he said in a statement sent to PBN. 

Actor Dench, also a signatory of the pledge, said she is “proud” to be a part of the effort, which is a “crucial step” in saving the species and “giving back the life stolen from hundreds of bears left in bile farms.”

She commented: “​​Animals Asia has pledged to rescue every last bear from every last bile farm across Vietnam. So I’m pledging my support, and I’m hoping thousands more will pledge their support as well.  Join me. Raise your paw for the moon bear, to finally end bear bile farming in Vietnam, and ensure that no bear is left behind.”

Those interested can find the petition and pledge here. 

The post Joaquin Phoenix, Stephen Fry, And More Celebs Battle To Save Moon Bears From Extinction appeared first on Plant Based News.