SIR: I am writing to highlight the suffering inflicted upon bears in China in the name of tradition. For centuries Chinese medicine has used bear gall bladder bile to cure many ailments, from stomach upsets to acne. But it is the method used to extract this bile which is unacceptably cruel. A tube is inserted into their gall bladders, through which their bile is "tapped" daily, causing both physical and mental distress. To add to this, the bears are kept in such tiny cages they can hardly move.
Not only does this barbaric practice increase the demand for a wildlife product, which is putting intolerable pressure upon the already endangered populations of bears in the wild, but it is totally unnecessary as effective alternative herbal and synthetic remedies are available at a cheaper price to replace bear bile. I am therefore appealing to Bolton Evening News readers, to help end bear farming in China, by writing a letter of protest to the Chinese Ambassador: His Excellency Mr Ma Yuzhen, The Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place, London W1N 3AH, or by sending a donation to the World Society for the Protection of Animals, who are fighting to close down these farms and liberate the bears. Their address is: 2 Langley Lane, London SW8 1TJ.
Sara Lee
Bury Old Road
Whitefield
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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