image courtesy Animals Asia Foundation
Duan Yihong helps save the moon bear
by Tim Willmott : Comments Off on Duan Yihong helps save the moon bear
“Wo Ai Yue Xiong!” (We Love Moon Bears!) was the cry from Chinese heartthrob actor Duan Yihong and the school children who attended Animals Asia’s Chengdu Sanctuary recently.
Nearly 100 bears have been saved by the Chengdu Moon Bear Rescue Sanctuary in China since it was founded by the Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) in 1996.
Asiatic Black Bears, or Moon Bears, are farmed for their bile, which is mechanically extracted from their gall bladders and used to mix old Chinese medicines for heat-related illnesses. AAF have been negotiating with Chinese officials since 1996 to bring an end to the industry, replacing the product with a cheaper and more readily available herbal substitute. Since then 36 farms have been closed, signalling the beginning of the end for the bear-farming industry.
AAF are now creating a huge bamboo forested area where the previously captive bears can live more freely, including an on-site ‘village of education’ with awareness programmes and workshops.
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Article by Tim Willmott
Tim is the creator of sustainapedia.com and heads digital publisher Treading Lightly. His interests include nature and wild places, cooking, film, sport and music. He is a poet, writer and commentator.
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