VN: Opening of Animals Asia's Double Bear House, Vietnam -- media release

[Guest guest]

*MEDIA RELEASE*

 

*14 May 2009*

 

*Animals Asia opens spacious new home for Vietnam's rescued farm bears*

 

Bears rescued from cruel bile farms can now swim, climb and roll on the

grass in their new Double Bear House, which opens today (14 May, 2009)

at Animals Asia's Moon Bear Rescue Centre, Vietnam.

 

Actress Maggie Q, senior members of government and foreign embassy

officials will attend the opening, while renowned primatologist Dr Dame

Jane Goodall will deliver a message of support via video. The opening

represents the culmination of 10 years' work by Animals Asia Foundation.

But for the 24 rescued bears on site, it means much more -- their

long-awaited freedom.

 

The Double Bear House, which took seven months to complete, has 12 roomy

dens in two rows that open out to two 2,500sqm semi-natural enclosures

on either side, one for the moon bears and one for the smaller sun

bears. The enclosures are designed to encourage the bears' natural

behaviour, with rock pools, trees and climbing frames.

 

Animals Asia's Founder and CEO, Jill Robinson, said the progress at the

sanctuary showed just what could be achieved when NGOs and government

worked together. " To see these bears who have suffered so much out there

playing and having so much fun is just amazing. And these bears will be

our ambassadors for years to come, just as this rescue centre will be

the heart of our campaign to end bear bile farming in this country. "

 

Animals Asia is building the 12-hectare sanctuary in Chat Dau Valley in

the stunning Tam Dao National Park, Vinh Phuc Province in collaboration

with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Forest

Protection Department. We are also working closely with customs

officials and environmental police to help stamp out smuggling of bears

from the wild.

 

Environmental protection is an important element of our new sanctuary,

which is located 1.2km into the park and is not connected to

electricity, water or sewage (wastewater). Animals Asia's Operations

Manager Robert Mathieson explains how we are helping to reverse the

terrible effects of pollution on Vietnam's depleted river system:

 

" Instead of simply using up water resources and discarding the waste, we

are collecting polluted water from the river and cleaning it for our use

-- then later we are cleaning and recycling our wastewater! Our initial

treatment gets the river water to a level where bears can drink it and

humans can wash in it.

 

" Also, all the bear and human sewage is treated by our eco-friendly

wastewater treatment system, all without using chemicals. This gets the

water to a level good enough to use in the bears' swimming pools. A

further filtering process even makes it safe for humans to drink -- but

we're not having many takers, so far! "

 

Animals Asia's Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen said that with the

completion of the Double Bear House, he looked forward to having school

groups visit the sanctuary, as education was a major part of our

campaign to end bear farming. He said that while bile farming was

illegal in Vietnam, it was common knowledge that bile extraction was

still taking place.

 

" Unfortunately, a lack of resources and decentralisation of authority

means there's no real enforcement on the farms, " he said. " Added to

that, Korean tourists are fuelling the trade. As long as tour groups are

encouraged to go on to the farms to see drugged and prone bears and to

buy bear bile 'fresh' from the source, the farmers will continue to take

their chances and circumvent the law.

 

" There also remains a lot of misunderstanding within the community about

the effects of bear bile on health. Many consumers are still not aware

of the potential dangers of taking bile products. Bile from China, which

has been found to contain urine, faeces, blood and pus, is being

exported illegally into Vietnam. "

 

Mr Bendixsen said Animals Asia was working with a Hanoi pathologist to

bring these matters to the attention of the health authorities.

 

Guests at the opening include officials from the National Assembly, the

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Central Forest

Protection Department, the Vinh Phuc People's Committee, Tam Dao

National Park, Provincial Forest Protection Departments, international

and local environmental/wildlife protection organisations and

representatives of a number of foreign embassies. The Hanoi

International Women's Club and the scientific community are also

represented.

 

The ceremony includes a special presentation by our new " Moon Bear

Rescue Ambassador, Vietnam " , Maggie Q, and a video message from Dr Dame

Jane Goodall. There are also speeches by Animals Asia's Jill Robinson,

the Director of the Tam Dao National Park, Mr Do Dinh Tien, and a

representative from our government partners.

 

Our heartfelt thanks to Al Frescos Group for providing the delicious

vegetarian buffet lunch for the opening of the Double Bear House.

 

**

 

Ends

 

--

* Angela Leary * Media Manager Animals Asia Foundation Tel: + (852) 2791

2225 Fax: + (852) 2791 2320 Website: http://www.animalsasia.org/ Keep up

to date with our recent rescue of 13 more bears from bile farms in

China. Think before you print