“China Rises Against Bear Farming” was the theme of the 2012 Australian Roadshow that saw AAF’s Founder and Jill Robinson speak at nine events, including two private dinners, in just 11 days and raise an impressive $245,000.  I hope that some of you were among the 120 who joined Jill at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club to hear how the people in China are really responding to AAF’s message that bear-bile farming is barbaric and cruel and must end!  (Unfortunately I was away at the time, but Jigsaw’s supporters and AAMB helped with securing the venue and offering quality items for the Silent Auction)  To read more about the tour click here.

AAF is funded entirely by private donations and while the fundraising total might seem like a lot of money, with over 250 (living) bears currently at AAF’s two Bear Rescue Centres it amounts to less than $1000 per bear = about half the annual food costs for each bear… And that’s before one considers the expenses of building & maintaining bear enclosures, doing vet checks & surgeries, plus a myriad of other day-to-day costs to run the sanctuaries.

Additional to its rescuing and caring for bears, AAF works non-stop on its many education programs for communities, schools, medical colleges and governments, covering all aspects of the bear-bile industry including:

• the dangers inherent in using bear-bile from chronically sick bears,
• sharing information about the viable plant and synthetic alternatives already available
• and most importantly highlighting the issues of animal welfare.

Below are photos of Kalina in her bear-bile farm cage and now at Animals Asia’s Bear Rescue Centre

AAF’s commitment to delivering a wholistic message is bringing the changes we are witnessing in China & other Asian countries. Here are just a few of AAF’s recent success stories:

• Chinese people are continuing to express their outrage at a Chinese company’s intention to list its bear-bile farm on the chinese stock exchange To read more, click here.
• A youtube film documenting the horrors of a bear bile farm went viral on China’s youtube. To read more, click here.
• In February, scientific studies reveal the brutal truth about the bear farming industry  To read more, click here.
• In June, 1,000 doctors in China sign a pledge against [prescribing] bear bile. To read more, click here.
• In August, “Moon Bear” the hard-hitting, undercover documentary showing the brutality of the bear bile industry across China, won a top award at the Fifth China Ya’an International Panda, Animals and Nature Film Week. To read more, click here.

NEVER, NEVER DOUBT FOR ONE MINUTE WHETHER YOUR SUPPORT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

IT DOES, and in more ways than you can imagine..