During 1999 and 2000, the World Society for the Protection of Animals conducted one of
the most comprehensive inspections of Chinese bear farms undertaken. The investigation revealed
how in farms across China, bears are surgically mutilated and "milked' each day for their gall
bile.
These animals endure the most apalling levels of cruelty, and attempts to improve standards
at two govemment-monitored farms in China have not alleviated even basic animal welfare problems.
Over the last 20 years, the marketing of and resulting demand for bile products has led to
the introduction of the intensive 'farming' of these wild animals. There are now officially
247 bear farms across China, housing an estimated total of 7002 bears.
While Traditional Chinese Medicim (TCM) utilizes a total of 500 kg of bear bile every year,
over 7000kg is now being produced, with the majority feeding a demand for products such
as wines, tonics and eyedrops.
Recent developments show that the Chinese government still has long-term plans for the bear
farming industry.At the 3rd International Symposium on the Trade in Bear Parts, which was
organised by Traffic East Asia in Seoul 1999, Chinese government representatives claimed
that "some Chinese farms had reached internationally agreed standards as captive breeding
centres."
The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) was established by the United Nations to regulate the trade in wildlife. The
agreement came into force in 1975 and to-date, 150 countries have signed the treaty,
including China. All bear species in South East Asia are designated as Appendix 1,
which prohibits virtually all forms of international trade in animals, body parts or products
derived from them.
WSPA visited two government model farms, which claim to have changed their method of housing
animals by creating larger enclosures. While the smallest cage is used for milking twice a
day, a connecting cage provides enough space for the bear to stand and turn. Injuries to
the head, paws and back from repeated rubbing against the cage bars were present on most animals.
Bear cubs bred on farms are taken away from their mothers at three months old. On some farms,
they are immediately put through a programme of training for circus acts. These performances,
which include boxing, bicycle riding and tightrope walking are being offered as a new attraction
for Asian tourists to generate additional income.
Between 10 and 20 ml of bile is tapped from each bear twice daily during feeding, which is
likely to impede the bear's ability to digest food adequately. During milking, WSPA
investigators witnessed signs of severe distress in every bear. Moaning and banging of heads
against the cage was common while some bears were seen to chew their own paws. For every two
successful bile fistula implantations, there are another two or three bear deaths due to
complications and infections.
In 1997, the Ministry of Forestry stated that there were 61,700 bears in the wild, including
46,530 Asiatic black bears in China. But the Bear Conservation Action Plan Published by the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the number of Asiatic black
bears in China at fewer than 20,000 individuals .
Bear cubs are sold to farms for 2000 to 3000 RMB (US$280 - US$400). The Financial incentive
for hunting bears is high considering a restaurant worker in China earns around RMB 300
(US$401) per month.
A recent CITES report on the trade in bear products gives alarming encouragement to the bear
farming industry. It stated: "China, in particular, appears to be addressing animal welfare
issues and those farms that have met standards established by the government now seem to keep
bears and extract thier bile under much improved conditions."
"Although we will have to wait for the results of her blood tests, she seems to be in
reasonably good shape and slept peacefully through a full health check before waking in
a roomy transport cage and looking up at the sky and trees for the first time in her
life.
"As this sweet girl has yet to be sponsored and named, we couldn't let this landmark
stage go by without giving her an identity for now. The answer was found on her cage,
lettered "P", and we warmly welcomed "Pooh" into The Animals of Asia family and her new
life of freedom.
"Whilst Pooh's release signals positive progress in the first stage of the China Bear Rescue,
we never forget the bears she left behind or the fact that we could never have come this far
without the help of caring people like you. Negotiations for the purchase of land to build
the permanent sanctuary press ahead, so that we can move into stage two of the rescue and
begin to receive the 440 bears awaiting their freedom.
"For young bear lovers, check out our exciting new "Kid's Site" on the website with facts about
bears, the tragedy of bear farming, and the story of the China Bear Rescue, together with quizzes
and games.We are very grateful to Viviance New Education for having so very kindly sponsored this
wonderful addition to our website:
"Working here at the temporary China Bear Rescue base in Chengdu, it is with great joy to
report at this early stage of the rescue that we are surrounded by a growing number of healthy,
happy bears. As we watch Andrew and Ginny roll about together in the late afternoon it's
hard to imagine their previous existence; lying for years in a cage no bigger than the size of
their own bodies and suffering pain and mental anguish each and every day.
"However, whilst our temporary centre is now full with recovering bears, our minds are never far
from the remaining 440 bears lying on farms awaiting their freedom. We are racing against
the clock to complete design plans and negotiate for land which will house our permanent sanctuary.
Funding at this stage is crucial because, whilst the land is proving to be one of our highest
outlays,once bought it will allow the first stage of the sanctuary to be constructed quickly
so that another group of bears can be rescued.
"We're aware of the SA animal controversy, regarding Ghiazza and have been visiting the park
in China where some of the animals have ended up. In
fact it is probably the best in the country and although some areas are of concern, basically,
the majority of the animals seem to be well treated."
On the 14th October 1999, Jill Robinson and Boris Chiao of the Animals Asia Foundation (AAF)
were invited to visit the Xiangjiang Safari Park and meet with the President's Assistant
and Director of Administration Office, Mac Mingjian Li.
"The facility is the only privately owned, non-government funded park in China. The owner is
aged 41 and a businessman owning a chain of restaurants and hotels in Pan Yu.
"Mr Li advised that the current consignment of 201 animals from South Africa was the only
consignment they had accepted at the park and had no plans "this year' to receive more.
He declined our request to view the the quarantine area, but later offered to supply details
of the quarantine Department officials who were, apparently, responsible for such requests and
suggested we contact them directly. According to Mr Li, the quarantine facility is adjacent
to the safari park with the animals being divided into species and held in separate quarters,
each affording shade and recreation areas - and "larger than where they had come from."
The quarantine period is set at 45 days, but the animals will not be released into their
permanent enclosures until next Spring. The new enclosures will be very close to where they
are staying now.
'Mr Li emphasized that none of the animals had suffered or died during the trip and all were
in good health. In addition, all the relevant CITES and health permits were in order. The
animals had been accompanied throughout by a veterinary surgeon and Cecilia Ramsay from the
Animal Anti Cruelty League in South Africa. They were now being cared for by "one of
the best veterinary surgeons in the world", Dr Xu, who retired as Director of Beijing Zoo.
According to Mr Li, none of the newly imported animals will be used in the shows, nor sold
to other safari parks or zoos in China.
Mr Li stated that he would not deal with Ghiazza again if it could conclusively be shown that
he was involved in criminal activities.
"We discussed our concern regarding the animal performances at the park and were advised that
the shows featuring the baby bears juggling flaming logs (also seen on 15/10/99 at Guilin Bear
and Tiger Entertainment City), the lion riding on the back of the horse and others, had been
discontinued because the park had not been satisfied with the previously cruel method of
training.
- The elephant show from Thailand
"He emphasized that he was learning new ideas each day and wanted to progress but needed time.
He was not satisfied with many of the current enclosures but was always open to suggestions
and offered that people would be welcome at any time to view the facility and suggest means
of improvement. He seemed pleased to accept an offer of enrichment programs for bears and
chimps. He added that he'd prefer to see animals in the wild.
"He also stated that the park had a strict policy for
all of their trainers, who were forbidden to beat or hurt the animals. This policy was
implemented for three reasons:
"All training was based on a system of reward and all trainers and keepers were encouraged to
stay with and develop a good relationship. Mr Li agreed to have trainers contracts in the
future.
"We later noticed that his advice was not known through out the park as we saw two incidents
that afternoon where the animals were hit with a cane.
A white tiger was tied to a concrete platform, whilst people posed next to him for
photographs - the trainer continually smacked the tiger on the nose to make him
roar for the camera. Another incident involved some dogs, together with juvenile Asiatic
black bears and young lions, which were held in a caged ring, away from the park's main area.
A woman hit one of the dogs sharply when it tried to break out of the door.
We had actually located this enclosure by hearing a dog crying out three or four times,
so we suspect this was her usual method of control.
"We wondered as to the function of this exhibit as it appeared to be a training
facility and contrasted with Mr Li's previous statements about winding down the animal
performances.
"That afternoon Mr Li drove us around the park for about an hour and we generally agreed on
the enclosures where conditions were adequate or good and where they
were lacking or poor.
"One of our main concerns, outside of the performances, was the nursery. This was a circular
building divided into sections containing the young of many species at nursing stage, including
tigers, lemurs and various primates, reptiles and birds. One section held 4 tiny puppies and
we were told that their mother was feeding some tiger cubs abandoned by their mother. This
seems to mirror a fad in China, where pictures such as this have been common in the Chinese
press. We queried the high rate of abandonment for the other species but were told by Mr Li
that this was common.
"The white rhino enclosure of 1/2 acre and holding two animals was much larger than seen at
most zoos. The animals stood in the mud around the fenced perimeter and appeared to be content.
We had just missed the elephant performance but saw 4 of the performing elephants after they
had been released into their 1/2 acre enclosure. They were playing in pairs, with no sign of
stereotypic behaviour or stress. The enclosure had a pool but no access to shade. A wooden
building at the end of the enclosure probably served as a shelter at night.
"The giraffe enclosure was approximately one acre, with the ground comprised fairly equally
of earth, grass and trees for shade. The leafy food was winched into the trees.
"The tiger and lion grassy enclosures remained in the same good condition as when we had
seen them - with healthy, though lazy, looking cats lying in the sunshine.
"We learned that a polar bear was destined to come to the park next year - with the enclosure
being designed by the San Diego Zoo - and asked Mr Li to reconsider, with the advice that
there would be a public outcry.
"Two depressed and lonely chimpanzees lay morosely in a barren, featureless, concrete enclosure,
enclosed entirely by grass. The animals had no access to fresh air or sunshine and were
enriched with one rubber tyre hanging by a chain from the centre of the ceiling. One
continually turned his back to us and pressed his bottom against the glass. The signage was
good throughout the park, including "don't touch", "don't feed"," don't tap glass" etc."
Map of bear farms in China visited by WSPA
WSPA's research also shows that bear farming continues to jeopardize the survival of bears in
the wild. In South East Asia, black bears are captured and sold to bear farms, while the
vigorous marketing of bear bile products across the world has put a price on the head of
every living bear.
This announcement signified their intention to secure permission from the Convention
on the Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to trade bear bile products internationally.LIFE IN A SQUEEZED CAGE
In November 1999 and February 2000, WSPA investigators visited a total of ten bear farms
across six provinces in South East, South West and North East China. They found that conditions
represent the worst examples of factory farming. On average, cages were found to be 0.8m x 1.3m
in size, a space within which a bear can hardly move, sit up or even turn around- On every
farm visited, the floors of the bear cages were constructed from iron bars so that the animals
are denied the opportunity to stand or lie on firm ground.
An outside enclosure is also provided, access is not allowed for up to four months and the
outside enclosure is used mostly for breeding. Despite winter temperatures as low as
minus 30 degrees in some parts of China, farmers enforce unnatural behaviour by not allowing
their bears to hibernate. On most farms, a poor diet is provided - Corn mash, apples, tomatoes
and sugar mixed with water were found to be the major food source, which is not sufficient
without vitamin and mineral supplements. The bears are fed twice a day to stimulate bile
production.
After about a year and a half, a cub's
performing days are over. From then until 3 years, growth is encouraged and often a cage of up
to 1.6m x 1.6m x 2.6m is provided until the bear reaches three years. During this period, two
bears may be caged together. Once the bear is fully grown, bile extraction can begin.
The bear is transferred into a much smaller cage that cannot facilitate any movement,
making access for milking twice a day easier. At a farm in Mudanching City, proported to
conform to new government standards, a specially designed close-fitting cage was used for
milking, while the animals were allowed to spend the rest of the day in a caged area, that
just about enabled them to stand and turn. On most farms visited by WSPA investigators,
surgery to enable bile extraction was carried out by farm owners with no veterinary training.
During illness, drugs are sometimes administered, but when they are not effective, bears are
commonly left to die.
Between the ages of five and ten, bears may stop producing bile. They are then put in another
cage, where they wait, either until death comes through sickness or starvation, or they are
killed for their paws and gall bladders. Bear paws are eaten as a delicacy in South East Asia
and their sale provides an additional income for farms. A WSPA investigator was offered a
fresh paw for 2000PMGB ($250). At one four star hotel in Shenyang City, a bear paw dish was
on the menu for 3800 RNIB($470)
Although it is difficult to establish exactly how long bears live, anecdotal evidence suggests
that the average lifespan is between five and ten years. The mortality rate for cubs during
breeding is also high, with new mothers commonly eating their offspring. In the wild,this
behaviour is rare, and suggests that the parent is under severe stress.
The Chinise goverment claims that neither bear parts nor products containing bear bile are
exported outside of mainland China. Since the bears in China are listed as Appendix 1 of CITES,
any export would violate CITES and Chinese law. However, these products have been found on
sale in many countries. They do export their products to Asian regions including Japan, the
Phillipines, Korea, Hong kong, Taiwan, Singapore. Bear bile and associated products were found
for sale at Kuming and Guangzhou international airport.This contradicts the statement of
Chinese officials to the CITES 15th Animal Committee meeting where the Chinese Ministry of
Forestry (MOF) reported that the sale of bear bile in China's international airports had been
stopped. In 1999, bottles of bear bile wine were even handed out as gifts for passengers on
internal flights.
WSPA strongly refutes this claim. Their investigators found that attempts to alleviate the
inherent cruelty problems at goverment-approved farms have been completely unsuccessful.
WSPA calls on CITES to condemn the Chinese bear bile industry on grounds of both animal welfare
conditions and conservation threats, and to refuse to consider the register of bear farms.RECOMMENDATIONS:
In view of the inherent cruelty of bear farming the risks it poses to the survival of
the species in the wild and the widespread availability of alternative ingredients for
Traditional Chinese Medicine, WSPA recommends that:
News Update:
Report from Jill Robinson of The Animals of Asia Foundation
- May 2001
"A thousand miles starts with one step and just a few days ago, that first step was made
when we cut the last of our first group of rescued bears out of the rusty wire cage which
had held her prisoner for years. Bear number 63 is a beautiful, small female and a victim of
the new, so-called humane, "free dripping" method, which uses no catheter but causes
terrible infection and death for some bears we have seen.
http:/www.animalsasia.org/kids/index.htm
"Thank you to all of you for making a difference!
"Bear hugs from Pooh and her friends and everyone in the team."
-Jill Johnson
FACT SHEET:
FACT:
In 1993 ±10 000 bears were being farmed in China. Presently 7 632 remain on farms.
When did the International Fund for Animal Welfare(IFAW begin
investigating?
In March of 1993 in Southern China, IFAW gained access to a
bear bile farm.
When did the Chinese Government meet to discuss bear bile farming?
In November 1994, the Chinese Government met IFAW representatives
along with the Hong Kong "Earth Care" Group and the Association of Chinese Medicine & Philosophy
, in Beijing.
What was the outcome of the meeting?
They talked for two days. The Minister of Forestry, Mr Zen Ren
De, and the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association agreed to close the worst of the farms
and to investigate the remaining farms.
How many bears were they able to save?
We know of 8 bears in 1995 and a further 32 were released into
the care of local zoos.
Who, of the Chinese people, has helped financially?
A businessman, Mr David Chu Yu Lin, donated land for the
sanctuary.
What was agreed at the above mentioned meeting?
FACT:
Bears on farms could have increased to 40 000 by the year 2000.
How many farms are currently running at present?
481 farms are in operation with 7 632 bears across China.
FACT:
1 bear on a farm may save up to 300 bears being killed in the wild
for their gall bladders and bile.
How much is bear bile worth?
Approx. $ 1 000 per kg
What do the public use bear bile for?
Shampoos, Cough Syrups, Haemorrhoid Treatment, Throat Lozenges,
Teas, Tonics for general good health,Treatment of Cirrhosis of the Liver, Treating Burns,
Eye Ointment, Cancer Treatments. (Exports to South Korea for the same as above.)
What is the substance found in bile?
Urosodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA). The same substance is found in cows.
The Panda bear does not produce this acid at all.
How much is consumed?
In Japan, China and Thailand up to 100 tons is consumed annually.
IFAW need donations:
What does CITES stand for?
UN Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species.
What was the latest CITES ruling?
We know that they:
FACT:
In 1993, South Korea joined CITES due to pressure from the
United States trade sanctions. It continues to ignore the CITES ruling and violates other
countries trade laws eg. Singapore, China,and Thailand. They trade in all bears,regardless.
FACT:
China joined CITES in 1981.
CHINESE ZOO'S
Report on the Xiangjiang Safari Park, Pan Yu, China.
By Jill Robinson of the A.A.F.: October 1999
There were only 4 shows remaining:
- A parrot show.
- A crocodile show (also from Thailand).
- A white tiger show from the US (with a Swiss national trainer). We saw this show which
featured healthy but bored tigers performing the usual tricks for a sequined covered
showman. The tigers had all their teeth and claws intact.
1 - It was unfair to the animals.
2 - It presented a bad image to the public.
3 - The animals would become aggressive and unsafe
- This report by Jill Robinson of A.A.F.
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