Bear chipping program roll out strengthens bear farm monitoring

Bear chipping program roll out strengthens bear farm monitoring

Hanoi Forest Protection Department in coordination with World Animal Protection has completed the re-microchipping of more than 200 remaining captive bears on farms in Hanoi, one of the hotspots in Vietnam in terms of both the captive bear population and concentration of farms. The latest electronic chips now allow safer and more efficient monitoring of the bears without the need for anesthesia.

The recent re-microchipping program in Hanoi is part of a new strategy developed by a coalition of NGOs (World Animal Protection, Education for Nature - Vietnam and Four Paws International) in partnership with the government to expedite the end of bear farming in Vietnam.

In 2005, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and World Animal Protection (formally World Society for the Protection of Animals) initiated a program to register and insert microchips in more than 4,300 captive bears on hundreds of farms throughout the country. This was the first step in an integrated and strategic campaign to phase out bear farming in Vietnam. The registration and microchipping process was mainly aimed at preventing new illegally sourced bears (without microchips) from entering farms and ensuring improved monitoring of farms for illegal activities.

Thanks to the strong commitment from the government, hard work by provincial Forest Protection Departments in enforcing the law, as well as NGOs and members of the public over the last 12 years, the number of captive bears has decreased dramatically to a little over 1,200 today (according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2015).

“We have achieved significant progress since 2005, when the government initiated efforts to phase out bear bile farming in Vietnam,” says Mrs. Bui Thi Ha, Director of Policy and Legislative Campaigns at ENV. “Not only has the number of bears on farms been reduced by about 70%, but bear bile use has also dropped by more than 61%.” Mrs. Ha also stresses that there have been corresponding improvements in the law and that application of the law by enforcement agencies is far more effective today than it was twelve years ago.

Mrs. Ha cites the successful closure of bear bile farms in Quang Ninh in 2015 as an example, and notes that collaboration between ENV and the Quang Ninh provincial government successfully put a stop to “bear bile tourism” in the province.

“Bear bile farming is coming to an end,” says Mrs. Ha. “We are continuing to work hard to expedite an end to bear bile farming, working hand in hand with government, local law enforcement and members of the public to see this through to completion.”

Asked about the recent re-commitment by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to bring an end to bear bile farming in Vietnam, Mrs. Ha says, “We are pleased to see MARD recommit publicly to this important objective, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all international organizations that have and continue to contribute to our efforts to end bear farming in Vietnam.”

Mrs. Ha notes, “Everyone has an important role to play that best suits their skills and expertise, whether it is providing a secure home and environment for bears transferred or confiscated from farms, or contributing in some other way to help us bring this cruel and illegal business to an end.”

Mr. Karan of World Animal Protection, which initiated efforts in Vietnam to end bear bile farming back in 2004, emphasized the importance of capitalizing on the momentum resulting from the successful rechipping

operation in Hanoi. “It’s critical that authorities effectively monitor farms post microchipping of bears to ensure bear farmers do not engage in any form of exploitation of their captive bears, including trading them illegally.”

“At the same time,” says Mr. Karan, “we plan to expand the re-microchipping program to other key provinces where there are concentrations of bears and bear bile farms.”

Mr. Karan, echoing the sentiments of Mrs. Ha says, “Our efforts since 2005 have achieved substantial progress and success thus far, but this fight is not over until each and every bear from these bile farms is safely transferred to a rescue center, and the bile business is finished forever in Vietnam.”

ENV welcomes the recent addition of Four Paws International to Vietnam.

Four Paws is in the process of constructing a state of the art sanctuary for bears in Ninh Binh province which will greatly assist in providing more space for bears that are confiscated or transferred from farms.

A recent short film highlighting progress in ending bear farming in Vietnam can be viewed at the following link: http://bit.ly/2uycYZ2

 For more information, please contact Communications Team Education for Nature – Vietnam communication@envietnam.org Tel/Fax: +84 4 6281 5424/ +84 4 6281 5423 Website: www.envietnam.org 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EducationforNatureVietnam

Peter Dickinson Independent International Zoo Consultant +971 50 4787 122 | elvinhow@gmail.com | Skype: peter.dickinson48

Chinese bear bile farm to become a sanctuary

Chinese bear bile farm to become a sanctuary

Historic agreement sees Animals Asia working with farm to rescue 130 bears

Bear in Bear Bile Farm

Animal welfare organisation Animals Asia will convert a bear bile farm in Nanning, China, into a sanctuary following an unprecedented request by the farm to rescue and care for its 130 bears.

 From May 5, Animals Asia will take 28 of the sickest bears, 1,200km in a multi-vehicle convoy back to our existing sanctuary in Chengdu for urgent veterinary attention. Then Animals Asia will also take over the care of the bears on the Nanning bear farm and start the two-year process of turning it into a sanctuary.

The move was instigated by Mr Yan Shaohong, General Manager of Flower World, which runs the bear farm as part of a wider state-invested horticultural business.

The move has been hailed as historic by Animals Asia CEO and founder Jill Robinson MBE, who sees it as a significant step in our ongoing campaign to end bear bile farming. She said:

“China has long been outraged by this cruel practice and our statistics show 87% of Chinese are against bear bile farming. This negotiation is a result of years of growing awareness and increased opposition, with the bear farmer showing the moral integrity to do the right thing. We believe it can be the start of a wider conversation, with all parties represented, with the aim of finally ending bear bile farming in China. We should never underestimate the importance of rescuing 130 bears, but we believe it can represent so much more than that.”

Mr Yan has described the decision to approach Animals Asia as one fuelled by the desire for the company to get out of the increasingly unpopular and ultimately unprofitable industry. He was also determined that the bears would not be sold onto other farms and continue to suffer cruelty.

He said:

“In the last two years, there has been a lot of discussion about the practice of extracting bear bile.  After several rounds of discussion among the management team of Flower World, we reported the idea of conversion to our superiors and received their approval and support. We decided not to invest further in bear farming – it’s time for change.

“We figured out that selling bears directly to farms could return some of our investment but it wouldn’t be satisfying. Some of the bears here are sick, some had bile extracted previously and some are new-born cubs. If we only transfer those bears into another bear farm, the living condition of them still cannot be guaranteed. We had to find a good placement for those bears –  a trustworthy partner with professional skills.

“We visited the Animals Asia’s China Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu. The centre provides comfortable shelters and a living area simulating a natural environment for bears, where they can have abundant and delicious food, and clean and spacious dens. The animal welfare level in the centre for bears has confirmed our plan to work with Animals Asia. We believe the future for our bears would be improved by working with Animals Asia.”

Bear in Chengdu

The undertaking will mean a US$5m investment by Animals Asia – covering the initial rescue of 28 bears followed by the sanctuary conversion as well as budgeting for three years of bear care. Existing farm staff will continue to be employed and will work alongside Animals Asia employees and learn from their expertise.

Bear bile is used in traditional Chinese medicine with over 10,000 bears believed to be in farms in China suffering daily extractions in tiny cages and horrific conditions.

The bears at Nanning Bear farm have not had their bile extracted in over two years since Mr Yan decided to end the practice. However many still suffer health problems as a result of earlier extractions as well as issues due to their confinement in small cages, poor diets and lack of veterinary care.

To date Animals Asia has rescued 285 bears in China. This will be the biggest bear rescue ever attempted anywhere in the world. Animals Asia is the only organisation with a bear sanctuary in China.

 Animals Asia China Director of External Affairs Toby Zhang said:

“We are opening the doors of a bile farm to the world. In doing so we are showing that a bile farm can close, be converted, and have a cruelty free future. We will be working with Mr Yan to investigate a sustainable model for what will become the Nanning Bear Rescue Centre – Animals Asia’s second sanctuary in China.

“Our research tells us that Chinese people do not want bear bile farming. We want those people to be heartened and inspired by this announcement. We want owners of Chinese bile farms to view it positively too. We want them to pursue their own way out.

“As we enter into this agreement with a state-invested business we also welcome the opportunity to work with government to seek solutions. We are not saying this is a one-size-fits-all solution. What we are saying is – if we can reach this agreement and deliver on this massive undertaking then we should all be inspired by the possibilities.”

New PSA: Bear bile is not a magic medicine

Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) has launched a new public service announcement (PSA) urging the public not to use bear bile.

The 36-second PSA which will air on national and provincial television in early 2011 features a young boy scraping his knee while playing with his little sister. The boy’s grandmother immediately suggests that bear bile be used to treat the injury and prevent bruising. However, the boy’s mother intervenes, discarding the idea and telling her elder and the public that bear bile is not a “magic medicine”. She goes on to suggest that people should seek professional medical care when treating sickness or injury, not use bear bile.

The PSA is the 6th produced by ENV in recent years as part of efforts to reduce consumption of bear bile.

Link to PSA:
http://thiennhien.org/index.php?page=documentView&parent=172&id=167

The findings of ENV’s recent study show that 22% of Vietnamese people have used bear bile in the past, and 72.5% of bear bile consumers use bear bile with the intention of treating a specific health problem such as bruising, muscle complaints, digestive problems and arthritis.

According to the ENV study, more than half of the users who quit using bear bile did so because they felt that it was ineffective. Some doctors have also recently suggested that there may be serious potential health risks linked to using bear bile.

“Use of bear bile threatens the future of our bears,” says Mr. Tran Viet Hung, ENV’s Communication and Public Awareness manager, “ENV seeks to dispel traditional beliefs that bear bile is some form of miracle drug.”

Hung goes on to say, “Seeing a doctor is the best solution whenever a person is faced with a health concern, not only for the sake of human health, but also for the sake of protecting Vietnam’s bears.”

Bears are listed under Group IB of Decree 32/ND-CP/2006 prohibiting commercial exploitation of live animals or their parts and derivatives. Vietnam is home to two species of bears, the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and the Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus). Both species are being pushed to the edge of extinction, mainly due to the illegal hunting and trade to support the demand for bear gall bladders and bile used as a traditional form of medicine. Asiatic black bears are usually captured as cubs in the wild and sold to bear farms where they are raised and used to extract bile from the gall bladder. Currently, there are about 3,500 bears in farms in Vietnam , most of which originated from the wild.

ENV wishes to thank the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) for their generous support in efforts to bring an end to the exploitation and trade of bears.

For more information, please contact:

Communication and Public Awareness Department
Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV)
No 5, IF 1, Lane 192, Thai Thinh street, Dong Da dist.
Ha Noi , Viet Nam
Tel/Fax: +84 4 35148850

Email: communication.env@gmail.com
communication.env@fpt.vn


Additional reference:
Bear webpage: http://thiennhien.org/CDBVG/index.php

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Ending Illegal Bear Farming and Trade

Education for Nature - Vietnam

Film urges action to preserve Vietnam's image and end illegal Bear bile business

Part 1


Part 2


ENV - Vietnam - http://envietnam.org/index.html