NEW ZEALANDERS DEEMED IMPORTANT FOR ASIAN BEAR SURVIVAL

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http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0603/S00112.htm

Kiwis vital to endangered bear recovery

Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 9:38 am

Press Release: World Society For The Protection Of Animals

News Release 13/3/06

Kiwis vital to endangered bear recovery, says visiting bear expert

 

The high number of New Zealand travelers to the Subcontinent and

South-East Asia can play a key role in ending exploitation of the

region's endangered bears and reversing declining bear numbers.

 

That's the view of world leading bear expert Victor Watkins from the

World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Watkins will be in

the country from March 13-17 to encourage support for the

UN-recognised charity's global bear protection campaigns.

 

The UK-based campaigner said New Zealand's high animal welfare

standards and reputation as avid travellers to bear cruelty 'hotspots'

in Asia and the Subcontinent made us major players in the global

effort to remove bear species from the endangered list.

 

" Bear species recovery in these regions has got to start with the

traveller walking away from tourist activities that exploit bears and

taking their money with them, " he said. " As avid travellers to Asia

and the Subcontinent, New Zealanders are vital to our campaign to see

greatly reduced patronage of activities which endanger bears, like

bear dancing in India and inhumane zoos throughout Asia.

 

" I urge every New Zealand traveller to report any cruelty they see to

the local police, tourist office or local animal welfare society, or

your tour operator if you're travelling in a group. "

 

In 1991, Watkins started a WSPA campaign dedicated to safeguarding

bears from cruelty in captivity and in the wild using methods such as

rescue and rehabilitation, lobbying for effective legislation and

education. WSPA's campaign has seen the end of the dancing bear trade

in Greece and Turkey and an agreement with the Vietnamese Government

to phase out bear farming in that country. Watkins has also conducted

undercover investigations into the bear products trade in Asia, bear

farms in Korea and overcrowded bear parks in Japan. In New Zealand,

WSPA has worked with the Government and border control officials to

prevent bear bile entering the country and with Chinese communities to

educate them on the herbal alternatives available.

 

 

While WSPA's campaign has had great success since its inception, many

thousands of bears continue to endure poor captive conditions around

the world. Thousands more are cruelly exploited in bear farms, as

dancing bears, in bear baiting events and in hunting and trapping for

their pelts, meat and gall bladders.

 

" It is ironic that New Zealand is the only continent in the world with

no native bear population, yet New Zealanders are so ideally placed to

help bear species recover and thrive, " Watkins said. " This is a global

battle that must be won so these wonderful animals are around for

generations to come. "

 

For more information or to help animals in need worldwide visit

www.wspa.org.nz.

 

ENDS