 The following statement is from: http://ursafreedomproject.ning.com/profiles/blogs/bear-bile-irresponsible-reporting-could-set-us-back-years "The story (see below) published by the Daily Mail in the UK and in The BBC was irresponsible and misleading. The headline suggests that the researchers encourage the use of bear bile."   Bear farming facts from Imperial College:
The statement from Animals Asia about the irresponsible media headlines: "It's a shame this story seems to have been written without any knowledge of the suffering that bears that are farmed for bile go through. If you are unaware of bear farming, please watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/user/HKAAF?ob=5#p/u/10/PENl5091uAM The research from Imperial College was based on synthesised UDCA, not actual bear bile. But the press reports and headlines give the impression that the use of actual bear bile is being recommended. The reality of bear farming is that an estimated 14,000 bears are being kept in tiny cages across Asia, starved and dehydrated, and milked for their bile. The bile removed from farmed bears is thick and infected, containing blood, pus, urine and faeces and is collected in unsterilised basins. Many of these endangered species are captured illegally from the wild. Some are drugged, restrained and have their abdomens jabbed with unsterilised four inch needles until their gall bladders are punctured to release the bile. Others are milked through open infected abdominal wounds, or catheters made from latex or rusty metal. They are pumped full of antibiotics and other drugs just to keep them alive. Most of them develop massive infections, multiple diseases and malignant tumours that ultimately kill them. They are often kept in tiny cages for up to 30 years – the space is so small that they can’t even turn around." You can use this statement if you would like to email the Daily Mail on letters@dailymail.co.uk If you are emailing you may like to include a photo of Chengdu Truth. I think there is one on here, but if not I'll be more than happy to post one or if you contact me I can email one to you. If you are commenting on the article, please remember you are limited to 500 characters and links are not allowed. Please help us get back on track with our campaign to end this vile, horrendous and totally unnecessary trade once and for all. This kind of reporting could really set us back years. Thank you so much!!!!! AND HERE'S ONE MORE UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO THE MEDIA'S MISTAKE: Bear Bile and Paul Martin (email from Nicky Vyvyan-Robinson; Animals Asia Foundation UK) by London Animals Asia Support Group on Friday, August 5, 2011 at 4:23pm Dear all: Following on from my email yesterday, we now have a statement from Imperial College distancing themselves from the lurid headlines. This is now front page news on the website and our current position is as follows: Bear bile inaccurately linked to heart condition treatments Clarification from Animals Asia Animals Asia has issued a strong clarification to news stories suggesting that bear bile can help treat heart conditions. Research into the effects of synthetic UDCA (Ursodeoxycholic acid, naturally occurring in bear bile) to treat heart conditions, was published this week by Imperial College London. Unfortunately, these positive findings have resulted in a range of media headlines that appear to be advocating the use of bear bile as the effective treatment. In reality, the study only considered the effects of synthetic UDCA and despite the misleading headlines, never considered using the natural compound found in bear bile, and extracted under the most torturous of conditions. We have contacted Imperial College London and continue to send comments from Jill Robinson, Founder and CEO of Animals Asia, to all media outlets that we are aware have reported the story in a way that appears to advocate the use of bear bile. As of today, Friday 5 August, we have received the following statement from the research author, Dr Julia Gorelik, Reader in Cellular Biophysics – National Heart & Lung Institute: "Our research has never advocated the use of bear bile – but has been developed using commercially available UDCA from Sigma company. We understand the cruelty inherent in the bear farming industry and have no wish to promote such a practice." Imperial College has also added “Bear farming facts” to their published news and clarified the situation regarding the use of bear bile: “Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is manufactured as a drug to decrease production of cholesterol in the body and to dissolve gallstones. It is also present in many traditional Chinese medicines made from bear bile. However, the farming of bears for their bile has been condemned as cruel by animal rights groups, and the use of bear bile products is not encouraged by the study authors.” Click here to read their full statement: Imperial College London News and Events We have also contacted the Daily Mail and BBC in the UK, and they have amended their online stories to include quotations from Animals Asia: Daily Mail article BBC article What can you do? Never underestimate the power of letters. We encourage you to send an email or letter to any of the media outlets concerned, or add your comments on an online article. Some suggested points you could include in your response, amend to use your own words:
The reality of bear farming is that an estimated 14,000 bears are being kept in tiny cages across Asia, starved and dehydrated, and milked for their bile. The bile removed from farmed bears is thick and infected, containing blood, pus, urine and faeces, and is collected in unsterilised basins. Many of these endangered species are captured illegally from the wild. Some are drugged, restrained and have their abdomens jabbed with unsterilised four inch needles until their gall bladders are punctured to release the bile. Others are milked through open infected abdominal wounds, or catheters made from latex or rusty metal. They are pumped full of antibiotics and other drugs just to keep them alive. Most of them develop massive infections, multiple diseases and malignant tumours that ultimately kill them. They are often kept in tiny cages for up to 30 years – the space is so small that they can’t even turn around. Apparently the Daily Mail online site has now closed for comment, hopefully crashed due to the large number of complaints. You can still email the letters page as per my email yesterday. I shall be contacting the features editor on Monday to ask for an article on bear farming to balance this last report. Our kind supporter Lynn Waddell has also emailed me to comment: BBC online news has the article also in the section for science, there is an option to complain if you go to 'contact us' first, could I suggest that members also complain to the BBC to either remove the article or reword it so that the emphasis is on synthetic UDCA. I will forward you any reply I get from the BBC. So this is worth doing too. On a completely different, and happy subject: Please be advised that our lovely Friends or Food ambassador Paul Martin is currently very much in demand by the BBC. He is filming three different programmes and the first one to air is called “Britain’s Lost Heritage” and will be on Sunday evenings, BBC 1, 8 pm, starting 14th August. Please do support him by watching and spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter etc. Obviously, he is a huge and devoted fan of Animals Asia. Nicky Nicky Vyvyan-Robinson PR, Education and Events Manager Animals Asia Foundation UK
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
 "Ask not what an animal can do for you; ask what you can do for an animal." Jasper
 Click to Read about Chippy and the Crew  Photos for sale as greeting cards or framed prints. Click to go to online Art Gallery.  A bee swarm - click here to see lots of terrific bee photos  Jasper holding the U.S. Flag - By Betsy Seeton -- Click to go to the Animal Legal Defense Fund and sign the Animal Bill of Rights  Click for a collection of ladybug photos  LEARN ABOUT YAKS 
 http://www.greenmuze.com/animals/wild/768-bear-bile-farming.html  Confiscated Skins and Wildlife at JFK Int'l Airport Photo from: http://www.laurelneme.com  DON'T BUY IVORY  CLICK TO READ MORE  Anatomy of a Tiger - Learn about the very real threat to these beautiful creatures "The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men." ~Alice Walker The source of the quote is Walker's preface to Marjorie Spiegel's 1988 book, "The Dreaded Comparison" . Her next sentence was, "This is the gist of Ms. Spiegel's cogent, humane and astute argument, and it is sound."  2014 Calendar For Sale Archives
February 2015
 Baking 101 with Albert "I was so moved by the intelligence, sense of fun and personalities of the animals I worked with on (the movie) Babe that by the end of the film I was a vegetarian." ~ James Cromwell  Elephant Care International ~~ Dedicated to the Healthcare & Conservation of Elephants  Categories
All
 Chippy in Argentina working on animal abuse issues  |
