He’s rescued hundreds of bears from bile farms but, for Animals Asia Vietnam boss Tuan, those still caged and suffering never leave his thoughts.
In 2011, an Animals Asia team was in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province to rescue a sun bear from a bile farm. As is always the case with bear bile farms, the animal, now known as Nelson, was kept in appalling conditions.
Animals Asia’s Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen remembers the tiny, rusting cage that had held Nelson for his entire life (pictured below).
Bear farms take their toll in myriad ways. Nelson’s teeth were shattered and infected from desperate attempts to chew through the iron bars, while the surface of his eyes were scratched affecting his vision.
Over 11 years rescuing bears from the bile industry, Tuan has no shortage of bad memories. He knows better than anyone what bear bile farming looks like: hopeless, fearful eyes, balding skin, open wounds, malnourished bodies and shattered teeth.
Tuan said:
“I’ve rescued over 150 bears in Vietnam and I’ve never yet seen a bile farmed bear held in conditions that are anything other than deplorable. Five years ago in Pleiku for Nelson’s rescue it was the same. I’ve lost count of how many farms I’ve been on, but they never fail to fill me with dread.”
So when local Forest Protection Department (FPD) officials told Tuan there were more bears being held in the province, he knew he had to act to spare them the horror he had seen repeated elsewhere so many times.
That day he made them a promise: if you can convince farmers to give them up, we can save the bears – anytime and we’d be back.
That pledge was vital. Vietnam’s Forestry departments are woefully under funded. If they were to find evidence of bear bile extraction they would most likely be forced to turn a blind eye. They simply have no facilities to care for confiscated bears.
Tuan’s promise changed all that. It empowered the FPD to go after those farmers, watch them closely for any mistakes and convince them every day that there is no future in the cruelty of bear bile farming.
This month, more than half a decade later, that pressure looks to have paid off as hopes grow that these bears (pictured above) can finally be saved.
“For five years I’ve known these bears were suffering unimaginable torment. Underfed, unable to stretch their bodies, sickness, pain and mental agony. We’ve seen it all before, but I know when I set foot on those farms it’ll be as horrific as the first time. The disgust of bear bile farming never dulls. The bears you can’t rescue, haunt you – they’re never far from your thoughts.
“Now we just hope we can rescue these bears and start to turn their lives around. We can’t give them back the years they’ve lost but we can make them free from pain. If we can get them back to our sanctuary we can give them sunshine, open air and bear friends to play with.”
Posted on November 9, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Above and below – Pictures of the London Memorial.
Subject: Animals in War Memorial Remembrance Sunday 13th November 2016.
18 million horses killed in the First World War along with a quarter of a million pigeons, thousand of rats and hundreds of dogs. They did not give their lives, their lives were taken from them.
Animals in Wars past and present memorial on Remembrance Sunday 13th November at War Memorial Albion Gardens Place Ramsgate CT11 8HQ at 2pm.
Please bring wreaths and flowers to honour our animal brothers and sisters slaughtered in human wars.
Posted on November 9, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Mark,
Shock and disappointment. Like you, that’s how all of us here at NRDC are feeling after witnessing last night’s election results.
Hillary Clinton, a climate champion, lost. Donald Trump, who embraces fossil fuels, has vowed to roll back the Paris accord and calls climate change a hoax, has won. Feeling shell-shocked is an appropriate response.
But we will not let that shock linger or, worse yet, turn to despair. We are going to transform it into concrete, planet-affirming action.
Know this: NRDC will fight for our environment, for our climate, and for our shared clean energy future — harder than we ever have fought before.
Donald Trump ran on one of the most stridently anti-environment platforms of any recent major-party nominee, but now he is the president-elect.
Analysts will sort out why people pulled the lever for this man. However, this much is equally clear. Whatever Americans voted for, it was not to turn back the clock on the environmental progress we’ve achieved over the last eight years under President Barack Obama.
It was not to continue allowing big polluters and their climate-denying allies in Congress to pillage our natural heritage and our planet for profit. It was not to walk away from the Paris climate agreement, the promise of clean energy and desperately needed progress on fighting climate change here at home. And it certainly was not to deny our fellow Americans their basic right to safe drinking water, clean air and healthy communities simply because of their income or skin color.
So it’s time for every American — Republican, Democrat and Independent alike — to stand and defend our environment and health.
Yes, today shock will prevail. But prepare yourself, because tomorrow the battle for all the environmental values we hold dear will begin. And we must be ready.
You can take heart from this: over the past 45 years, thanks to your support, we have fought — and won — uphill battles before. We succeeded in stalling, blocking or sinking the worst attempts by past presidents like George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, senators like Mitch McConnell and congressmen like Newt Gingrich to dismantle some of our nation’s most cherished environmental laws… to privatize our public lands… to open our treasured wild places to destruction at the hands of the oil, mining and logging industries.
And let me tell you, the Trump administration will have to contend with an NRDC that wields a far more potent combination of grassroots activism, courtroom power, lobbying expertise and media outreach than we ever have had before.
Donald Trump will also have to contend with the over 2.4 million NRDC members and activists who will not tolerate selling out our environment, our health, our natural resources and our children’s future for profit and extreme ideology. And on the issue of catastrophic climate change — the defining challenge of our generation — failure is not an option.
In the meantime, we must ensure that President Obama — who has become an inspired and inspiring climate champion — does whatever he can in the remaining 70 days of his presidency, to put in place even tougher safeguards for our climate, our public lands and our wildlife.
In the weeks ahead, I will report back to you in more detail on NRDC’s action plan for defending our environment during the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency — and beyond.
But I can share one key element of that plan right now: You. We’re counting on you to stay the course with NRDC. We need your outrage. We need your focus. We need your activism. We need your support. Are you in?
“Trump’s energy policies would accelerate climate change, protect corporate polluters who profit from poisoning our air and water, and block the transition to clean energy that is necessary to strengthen our economy and protect our climate and health,”
Tom Steyer, a billionaire environmental activist, told Reuters.
In a major victory for lab animals, China has finally accepted the first non-animal testing method for cosmetics.
This breakthrough can be attributed to the scientists at the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS)–a non-profit institution focused on developing non-animal research methods–who have developed a 3T3 Phototoxicity method that measures a chemical’s potential harm by exposing it to light rather than injecting or applying it onto rabbits, mice, or other lab animals.
This practice is already in widespread use throughout the U.S. and the E.U., but soon, for the first time ever, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) will recognize the cruelty-free data as acceptable for safety evaluations of cosmetic ingredients.
The institution’s groundbreaking work began with a grant from PETA after the animal rights group exposed China’s requirements for cosmetics tests in 2012. The scientsits have since traveled to China several times over the past four years to offer expertise and guidance regarding animal testing alternatives.
In 2010, China surpassed the U.S. as the largest manufacturer of consumer goods in the world. But since the Chinese government currently requires all cosmetic companies to pay for cruel animal experiments in order to sell imported and specialty cosmetic products in China, this makes it extremely difficult for cruelty-free companies in the U.S. to sell their products internationally.
“The anticipated publication by CFDA is an extremely important step for China,” co-founder and president of IIVS Erin Hill says. “It clearly demonstrates China’s commitment to modernize their testing requirements and reduce their reliance on animal models.”
Fortunately, this newly accepted testing method will spare thousands of animals from lives of pain and suffering.
“Some U.S. cosmetics companies sold out when they quietly paid for tests on animals in China, but now, there will be a little less suffering in Chinese laboratories and a little less blood on corporate hands,” Kathy Guillermo, PETA’s senior vice president, said in a statement.
IIVS is currently in the process of developing training programs to assist scientists in China as they begin using the new testing method. Once the CFDA officially publishes the scientists’ work, the non-animal alternative can be used to determine the safety of cosmetics, personal care products, and other individual ingredients.
A statement from PETA reads:
“PETA is proud to have contributed to this effort, and congratulates the scientists at IIVS for their critical work helping to end the Chinese government’s requirements for tests on animals for cosmetics.”
We applaud all of those involved in putting an end to animal testing in China, and we hope all cosmetic companies will adopt cruelty-free testing methods.
We have said time and time again that (from our perspective as animal welfare campaigners and EU citizens) the EU needs to have a ‘big wake up’ regarding the implementation of existing welfare laws, and ensuring that current existing laws and EU Regulations are fully complied with by all member states. What do we get in return ? – Mr. Van Goethem turns round and informs us that he and the others in ‘EU animal welfare Ltd’ can do nothing when presented with endless video evidence (especially from Lesley at EoA) of the untold suffering of EU animals exported for example, to Turkey.
Therefore, with their endless ignorance of daily issues involving the suffering of live animals across the EU, is it any surprise that many citizens across the EU are acting as per the following article below ?
Citizens of the EU want the EU to act and take firm, decisive action against those who do not comply, not simply adopting the Van Goethem attitude of hands up and ‘I can do nothing’ as we have seen and heard on so many occasions.
It is the Van Goethem inaction, and others like him at the EU that have formulated the utter mess that the EU currently finds itself in ?. They don’t listen to the welfare groups who have experience and evidence first hand. Instead, they sit behind their big desks, in air conditioned offices in Brussels, bleating on about how they (the EU), can do nothing despite all the supposed Regulations and non compliant video evidence presented to them.
It is enough really to make you say ‘we told you so a long time ago; you did nothing, and now you start to pay the price’.
We have no problem at all with other existing EU nations following the way of the UK and undertaking their own ‘EU exit’. The EU has failed the animal welfare campaigners of Europe for a long time, and will always continue to do so under the current ‘management’. Who, in all the member states, really wants to pay into a ‘club’ when the very same club is presented with endless law breaking evidence of non compliances of existing EU Regulations and then does nothing to take any action against the law breakers ?
Please read the article below and see what the hands up, do nothing approach of Mr Van Goethem and others in EU central office has now resulted in.
We told them a long time ago to act in defence of animals; they did not listen and furthermore did not act – now they must face their self inflicted demise !
END OF THE EU?
Germany warns FIVE more countries could leave Europe after Brexit
FIVE European countries may seek to follow Britain’s lead in leaving the EU in a Brexit domino effect, Germany has warned.
PUBLISHED: 04:25, Sun, Jun 26, 2016 | UPDATED: 09:06, Sun, Jun 26, 2016
France, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Hungary could leave.
Front National leader Marine Le Pen has pledged to hold a French referendum if she emerges victorious in next year’s presidential elections.
While for the past two months a Nexit has been on the cards after Dutch voters overwhelmingly rejected a Ukraine-European Union treaty
Details of Berlin’s concerns were outlined in a finance ministry strategy document.
Angela Merkel’s country faces having to pay an extra £2.44billion a year to the annual EU budget once Britain has left.
Fears for the future of the EU have prompted German government officials to propose that Britain is offered “constructive exit negotiations”.
The aim is of making the UK an “associated partner country” of the EU, according to German newspaper Die Welt.
Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, warned that Europe needs to change its ways.
“Brussels must hear the voice of the people, this is the biggest lesson from this decision,” he told public radio.
“But Europe is strong only if it can give answers to major issues such as immigration that would strengthen Europe itself and not weaken it. The EU failed to give these answers.”
Another critic of the EU, the leader of Poland’s ruling party, said that the UK referendum result shows the need for reform of the EU.
“The conclusion is obvious. We need a new European treaty,” said Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who heads the Law and Justice party.
“We need a positive reaction, and not persistent movement in the same direction, a direction which has led to crisis,” he added.
There is no point beating about the bush: today is a watershed for Europe
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Tensions are rising across the EU, with Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden all facing demands for referendums over Europe.
In a statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “There is no point beating about the bush: today is a watershed for Europe, it is a watershed for the European unification process.”
The European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, has said this does not spell the end of the European Union and the bloc has “decades of experience in overcoming crises”.
The Brexit vote is expected to encourage populist parties in Europe to seek similar referendums for their nations.
Foreign ministers of the founding EU states met in Berlin yesterday to try to revive the shattered confidence in the European Union.
The German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, said: “We cannot rush into hectic activity, pretending we have all the answers, but after the British decision we also cannot fall into depression and inactivity.”
Posted on November 4, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The matador “El Juli” could not finally kill the bull on 1. December 2013 at the Acho Arena in Peru.
Four times he tried, four times he tormented the animal to death, but he could not kill him.
Every further attempt was only an infernal torment.
Then some anti-bullfight activists jumped into the arena of death.
Bold, determined Peruvian activists wanted to show everyone that such a sadistic murder would not happen.
The mob in the arena shouted, “Kill them, kill them, pull them by their hair, pull them by their hair, kill them!”
They were beaten by the lackeys of thebullfight mafia, some were taken to the hospital.
To the honor of the Peruvian activists I wrote a post on the blog http://www.sos-galgos.net. (Watch the video here please – SAV)
At that time under the cover name “Amor”.
In this article, I also wanted to clarify a question, that may have been a concern for every animal activist and animal rights activist.
Why do we do it?
Why do we invest so much strength, energy, personal suffering in this struggle?
Why do we sacrifice our rest, our leisure time, our sleep to save animals, or help animals?
What drives us?
The answer, that I gave in this post was:
“This war feeds us because it also gives us the satisfaction that we have not become a piece of shit (as you are aficionados), but morally acting people.
The small difference with the big consequences is: who leads proxy war, has nerves, endurance, and enormous reserves of combat spirit.
You shall never forget this, enemies! “
The contribution had then caused great excitement among the pro-bullfighting blogs.
It was published at SfA “Bullfighting for All” and was heavily criticized.
Only, the aficionados, have not understood that this was the best advertising for the blog.
Today, three years after this post, I must say that the reasoning of my fight was not complete.
I would now supplement this with the answer that Bertold Brecht gave when asked at the end of his life: What has all this been useful? All the plays, the writings, the struggle in exile?
Brecht thought, and finally he said: Without us they would have had it easier.
And that is an objective truth.
Posted on November 3, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Tartu bans wild animals in circuses
29. Oct 2016
Reuters
Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia, will no longer allow circuses that exploit wild animals, to perform in the city. The decision was yesterday announced by the mayor of Tartu, Urmas Klaas.
Estonian ministry of rural affairs is currently working on a draft to ban the use of all wild animals in circuses. Provided the draft would be approved by the parliament, it will come into force on June 1, 2018.
In June this year, NGO animal advocacy organization Loomus welcomed the announcement by The Estonian Veterinary Association in support of banning wild animals in circuses.
“As a member of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, the Estonian Veterinary Association has voted for banning the use of wild animals in traveling circuses,” confirmed Priit Koppel, the president of the Estonian Veterinary Association.
“Thus, we support the stances of the members of ENDCAP (the European Network to End the Keeping of Wild Animals in Captivity), the European leading network of animal organizations and live nature experts, and those of the members of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, which recommend all European countries to ban the use of wild animals in traveling circuses.”
Currently, 23 countries in the world have established a total nation-wide ban on the use of wild animals or all animals in circuses. Nine European Union countries have clearly banned the use of all or wild animals in circuses; nine countries have established partial bans.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 