New life for Assisi

BY RHIANNON HORRELL

A Chinese moon-bear once caged and subjected to agony is now living a free and happy life – thanks to a brother and sister who travelled halfway around the world to help.

Remuera resident Liane Donovan and her brother Michael Donovan, based in Ellerslie, travelled to the city of Chengdu to visit Animals Asia, a sanctuary for bears rescued from bear-bile farms.

Bears are forced to lie flat in small cages at the farms for the duration of their lives, where they have a steel tube inserted into their gall bladder, without anaesthetic, to remove bile.

The bears have no access to water and are denied adequate food because hunger makes them produce more bile, which is used in a traditional Chinese medicine.

"It’s our responsibility as humans to protect animals – that’s not happening," says Ms Donovan.

"You came across blind bears, bears with paws or whole limbs missing, bears who had their teeth ripped out by the farmers or have broken them from trying to bite through the cage bars and bears who have sustained brain damage through repeatedly bashing their heads against the bars," she says.

"There are herbal alternatives, there is no need at all for this. It’s excruciating for the bear."

Many die from liver cancer and do not have the strength to survive after being rescued.

The Animals Asia Foundation is home to nearly 200 rescued Asiatic black bears – also known as moon-bears for the crescent shape marking on their chest.

"They’re gentle, playful bears and human-like," Ms Donovan says.

The pair took more than $23,500, fundraised by Auckland SPCA for Assisi, a rescued bear who is five years old and has made progress at the centre.

"He wanted to make a connection. He smiled a lot," Mr Donovan says of Assisi.

"They are remarkable creatures. They have survived this ordeal and are still loving and kind to humans."

He says once the bears are in the care of Animals Asia they seem to know they are in a better place.

Rehabilitation is a gradual process and the gall bladder is often removed after being damaged by the steel tube.

Bears at the sanctuary are well-treated in a nurturing environment which contrasts strongly to their former imprisoned state.

Bear-bile farming started in the early 1980s and Mr Donovan says farmers realised that if they could capture and keep the bears alive, they could extract more bile.

The medicine made from it is used for a range of conditions – to improve eyesight, for fever and to assist with detox.

"It’s a big money-spinner," he says.

An estimated 10,000 bears are still farmed for bile in China.

SPCA Auckland executive director Bob Kerridge says the funding that the Donovans took to China was donated by hundreds of generous Kiwis in a campaign backed by the SPCA and Animals Voice magazine.

"It’s being used to cover the cost of rescue and upkeep for the aptly-named bear Assisi."

The siblings will speak about their experiences at the New Zealand Companion Animal Conference on Monday and Tuesday at the Stamford Plaza, 22 Albert St, Auckland.

For details on the sanctuary visit www.animalsasia.org.

For more conference details visit www.nzcac.org.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News