The WSPA charity are fighting hard to stop the dreadful sport of bear baiting, which is still being performed in countries such as Pakistan. The WSPA managed to halt an event in February, saving the lives of two bears, who would almost certainly have been murdered by dogs for the pleasure of a baying crowd.

The WSPA’s first attempt to confiscate the bears was met with fierce resistance from the event organiser, who makes a lucrative wage from staging such events. In reaction to the objection, an appeal was made to the bear owners personally, explaining that they could help them find an alternative livelihood away from this barbaric sport. Thankfully, the owners recanted, and allowed the bears to be taken into the care of the WSPA.

Working alongside the Punjab Wildlife Committee (PBRC), the WSPA have helped dramatically reduce the number of bear baiting events, through working with the Pakistani government to push for the prosecution of illegal bear owners and calling for greater action against bear cub poachers. Also, by creating the Kund Park Sanctuary, the WSPA have created a home and a possilbe future for confiscated bears who would struggle to re-adapt to life in the wild.

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Actress Natalie Imbruglia will be starring in the one hour documentary ‘Memory of Maia’ on Network Ten, an amazing insight into the incredible bear sanctuary of Romania.

Natalie travelled throughout the country alongside the alongside the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), helping to rescue imprisoned bears and relocate them to the forest sanctuary near the city of Brasov in Transylvania.

Romania is home to some of Europe’s most neglected bears, with the majority victims of the tourist industry, or rescued from private zoos and circuses. The program run by the WSPA is to try and confiscate all captive bears in Romania and educate local people and authorities about the importance of protecting these complex and intelligent animals and keeping them in the wild.

 

After visiting the sanctuary, Natalie said –

‘The sanctuary is absolutely amazing, I loved seeing the bears running around and interacting. It reminded me of children playing and it fascinated me seeing the connection they had with each other. Most of the bears had never experienced dirt underneath their paws or trees to hug and climb, and this sanctuary gives the bears the opportunity to do this and live the rest of their lives safe from harm.’

While a sanctuary is only one small part of the solution to the captive bear problem in Romania, it is a necessary safe haven for imprisoned bears that would simply have no other place to go.

In Memory of Maia is on Sunday, February 15 at 4pm on Network Ten.

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Over 75% of the world’s 500million dog population are strays, a problem the WSPA charity is fighting to eradicate. With the lack of animal medical care in third world countries, most stray dogs can expect to contract fatal diseases through tumours and rabies. The WSPA are looking to develop sustainable dog population management throughout poverty stricken countries, whilst also funding mobile veterinary services.

The WSPA run recreational and school based workshops worldwide to help educate children and pet owners on the responsible treatment of animals, while also providing medical services for all animals, stray or cared for. The work is a never ending cycle, as one animal is vaccinated, another is put down, but the tireless efforts of the WSPA will continue to fight what to most would look like a lost cause.

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Recent reports from the WSPA charity prove conclusively that bear farming is still an ongoing trade in China. The bears are generally locked in a cage no bigger than a telephone box, then have daily incisions into their abdomen to remove the bile from the gall bladder. The bile is then used in medicines as a treatment for chronic stomach disease and other related ailments, particularly gall stones.

Even though it has been medically proven that there are far more practical alternatives to bear bile, there are still approximately 13,000 bears currently being farmed in Asia. Over the last 2 years the WSPA have managed to secure verbal agreements with both Vietnam and Korea to phase out bear farming, and hope that China will follow suit.

The WSPA are currently in direct discussion with high ranking officials in the Chinese government and lobbying companies to halt this unnecessary practice. Whilst mobilising support within the Chinese communities of the United States, the UK and Australia, the WSPA will demonstrate to China that practical alternatives to bear bile exist.

With the bile extraction procedure being extremely painful and traumatizing for the bear, the sooner this cruel ‘farming’ is halted the better. With Vietnam and Korea leading the way, surely China must realise that this barbaric method of cruelty done for the sake of producing medicinal goods should be consigned to the history books.

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"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."