Aucklander devotes her life to helping tortured bears

By AMANDA PEART

Nearly 7000 bears live in agony in China, imprisoned on farms, where their bile is extracted twice a day for use in traditional medicines.

The Asiatic Black Bears, or moon bears, are kept in small cages, and rusting metal catheters are inserted into their abdomens to milk the bile - said to treat everything from fever and inflammation, to cool down the liver and treat hepatitis. The bears live like this until they die of chronic infection and are now an endangered species.

And when Sue first learned about their plight, her life quite simply changed. She jumped at the chance to become involved with the Animals Asia Foundation, the organisation that runs China Bear Rescue.

The former advertising executive has had a lifelong passion for animals, but didn't actively pursue this before moving to New Zealand from the UK seven years ago.

She chucked in advertising to do a vet nursing course at Unitec, then volunteered at the SPCA until becoming a full-time welfare inspector there.

Then she learned about the Black Bears.

She's been involved with Animals Asia since the beginning of this year.

First she did a stint as the New Zealand co-ordinator, responsible for developing media relations, and recruiting and co-ordinating volunteers.

She did such a good job recruiting volunteers, she signed herself up.

Although her co-ordinating stint is over, she's still helping out where ever she can as a volunteer.

Animals Asia was founded in 1993 by English woman Jill Robinson, who stumbled across a bear farm when she was in China.

The organisation is the only one working on the ground in China and has 139 rescued bears in its sanctuary.

The broken and often traumatised animals get medical treatment, physiotherapy and a good diet.

And the organisation has made some significant inroads politically, signing an agreement in 2000 with authorities in Beijing and Sichuan to free 500 endangered Moon Bears from farms and pledging to work towards eliminating bear farming altogether.

Since 2000, 39 bear farms have been closed by the government and Ms Baudet says they hope to eliminate bear farming in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The farmers are compensated by Animals Asia to ensure none of the bears are slaughtered for their parts.

The organisation also helps farmers move into other employment, or other types of farming.

But there's still work to be done, says Sue, including recruiting more volunteers, constant fundraising and educating the public.

She says the organisation aims to be educational rather than confrontational. A constant challenge is to keep the issue out in the open.

The bear's bile is made into powder, capsules and ointment and has been used in traditional medicine for over 3000 years.

But despite the fact that the active ingredient can be man-made, and it's illegal to export it, the demand for the traditional medicine is still there.

And there are still thousands of bears that need to be saved.

- THE AUCKLANDER

Animals Asia