1,000 doctors in China sign pledge against bear bile
Over a thousand doctors in China have signed a pledge not to prescribe bear bile to their patients. The doctors were attending the 8th Shanghai International Forum of Infection Control (SIFIC) which took place in Shandong province.
The pledge cards were produced by Animals Asia, the animal welfare group that campaigns to end bear bile farming, and the only organisation with a bear sanctuary in China. The Animals Asia team has been rescuing bears from the bear bile industry since 1994.
Animals Asia met with doctors at the event and provided information on the cruelty involved in the bear farming industry, and the potential health risks for patients of taking infected bile.
The pledge card states:
“As a doctor, I care about the health of my patients and I sympathize with the situation of black bears. I will join Animals Asia’s ‘Healing without Harm’ campaign, and will not prescribe bear bile products to my patients in the future.”
In some Asian countries, moon bears are kept in small cages for up to 30 years, and have their bile extracted through catheters, needles and open wounds. Starved, dehydrated and riddled with ailments, this is a living hell for the bears. The bile is used as a form of medicine.
Animals Asia is working to end the barbaric bear bile trade, which sees more than 14,000 bears kept in cages on farms throughout China and Vietnam.
On learning about the cruelty to the bears and the condition of the extracted bile, the doctors expressed astonishment, having not realised the nature of the industry, and the potential harm to consumers from bear bile products. Many doctors and hospital directors are now keen to work closely with Animals Asia to present information on bear farming to their hospitals to spread the word to doctors and nurses from all departments.
Toby Zhang, China External Affairs Director, Animals Asia commented:
“The medical industry is devoted to helping people to be healthy, but prescribing bear bile is not only causing suffering to thousands of bears, it may also be harming the health of patients. It is greatly encouraging that doctors are signing this pledge not to prescribe bear bile in the future, and we hope this will help lead to the end of bear bile farming in China.”
In addition to the animal welfare and public health concerns, bear bile farming is also a conservation issue. Asiatic black bears are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) lists Asiatic black bears in appendix 1, the most critical category of endangerment.
Leading conservationists believe that bear bile farming is having a negative impact on the Asiatic Black Bear population, with many farmed bears found to have been illegally caught in the wild. The bear farming industry promotes the use of bile, and drives demand, which in turn is thought to lead to the capture of more bears.
GREAT !! HOPE ITS TRUE.
Thank-You, Thank-You, for being part of the solution to this heinous practice. I hope all your colleagues sign this petition also. Thank-You, this time it is from the Bears you are saving.
Animals in China have long suffered from the most extreme forms of cruelty, abuse and exploitation. There are no humane laws to punish those who torture and mistreat animals. Tiger farms breed tigers for their penises, which are also used in Chinese medecine. This is but a baby step in the right direction. Millions of animals suffer and die on Chinese fur-farms; millions of dogs/cats as well, are still on the dinner plate in some areas. We look forward to major changes and progress as China emerges from a barbaric and horrific tradition of cruelty to animals, as its citizens become more aware of the importance of treating every creature with the respect and admiration he/she deserves.
Enfin un début. Il est grand temps d’arreter de faire souffrir ces pauvres ours.
This is indeed a step in the right direction but we must not be complacent. There are thousands upon thousands of animals being farmed for their body parts in the most horrendously painful, dirty and cramped conditions in China, Vietnam and Korea. It all must be outlawed.
God bless all these human souls who, by their position, save all those poor 4 paws creatures
Reblogged this on World Wide Legal Action 4 Animal Rights.
Very Good News and another step in the right path
http://www.change.org/petitions/help-stop-the-barbaric-medical-torture-of-harvesting-bear-bile
HOW I WISH EVERYONE IN A HIGH POSITION IN CHINA WOULD OPPOSE THE INHUMANE DISGRACEFUL TREATMENT OF BEARS. IT WOULD BE BANNED MUCH QUICKER ! DOES CHINA ONLY LISTEN TO ITS OWN PEOPLE AND NOT THE REST OF THE HUMANE WORLD WHO ARE SHOCKED AND DISGUSTED BY THE WAY MOST ANIMALS ARE ABUSED IN CHINA ? WELL THEY SHOULD LISTEN BECAUSE THE MAJORITY IS RIGHT !
This is news that lifts my spirit – thank you!