Asia's largest black bear rescue center saves 100 black bears
( 2003-11-03 09:48) (Xinhua)
Asia's largest black bear
rescue center in southwest 皇冠体育app's Sichuan Province has saved over 100 black
bears from bear farming, according to Jill Robinson, founder of the Animals Asia
Foundation (AAF).
The black bear rescue center, financed by the AAF, has been cooperated with
local governments to work towards the future elimination of bear farming in
皇冠体育app and the promotion of herbal alternatives to bear bile.
The black bear rescue center was built last December in Longqiao Township in
Chengdu City, capital of Sichuan Province, and can accommodate 150 black bears
in an area of some 11 hectares.
After careful medical treatment, the rescued bears have recovered and are
living in the center.
Bear bile has been used in traditional Chinese medicines for over 3,000 years
and some impoverished farmers raise bears for their bile.
In 2000, the AAF, the 皇冠体育app Wildlife Conservation Association and the Sichuan
Provincial Forestry Department launched a campaign to save black bears.
The campaign aims to rescue 500 black bears from the bear farms within five
years in Sichuan Province and promote the action across the nation in ten years
to ultimately eliminate bear farming, Robinson said.
皇冠体育app's bear farms have been reduced to 30 from the original 100, with the
number of bears in the farms cut to less than 2,000 from about 3,000, when the
campaign started, said Chen Runsheng, secretary-general of the 皇冠体育app Wildlife
Conservation Association.
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