Page 11 - Animals Asia Review 2015

End Bear Bile Farming

The best of the best
Sassy makes a friend!

Our thanks to all the experts in so many different ields who When Sassy the sun bear cub joined us in 2010, she was
volunteered their services, advice and expertise to help the extremely nervous, which is not surprising as she had probably

animals in 2015. Two of these kind people were vets.
witnessed the slaughter of her mother in the wild. While most
rescued cubs recover quickly, Sassy’s trauma was extreme, and
Wildlife surgeon Romain Pizzi visited our early attempt to integrate her with other cubs failed. This

our Vietnam sanctuary last year, training meant an enclosure on her own – until she met Layla.
our vet team in the use of laparoscopic
equipment. Romain is a specialist in Due to Sassy’s history, her integration with Layla was handled

laparoscopic or “keyhole” surgery, which with the utmost care. Before meeting, the bears lived in adjacent
allows our vets to look into the bear’s dens and enclosures for eight months, giving them plenty of time
abdomen without a full open surgery. to become acquainted in a non-threatening environment.

These bears recover within days, instead
of the usual weeks. Romain offered his services and additional Thankfully, since meeting, the two have become best friends,
equipment free of charge.
playing, wrestling and destroying the sanctuary furniture.

orthopaedic veterinary surgeon Alane
Cahalane performed “miracle” surgery
on one of our rescued bears in 2015.

Alane volunteered to perform dificult
surgery on Claudia, a middle-aged moon
bear at our China sanctuary. Claudia was

prone to fractures because her bones
had not completely matured. In March,
Alane stabilised Claudia’s right elbow,

which means there’s less chance she will fracture her left elbow
in future. By mid-year, Claudia had made her irst steps into a
small enclosure and by the end of 2015 she was back playing
with her friends.

A big welcome to ‘home-grown max’

In 2015, we employed our irst Chinese

Veterinary Intern, Wang Jing, or “Max” as
she is known. Max joined us having Sweet little Layla (left) is the perfect companion for timid Sassy.
qualiied with a bachelor's degree in
veterinary medicine in 2012 from Jiang

Xing Agriculture University and then To date, Animals
recently gaining a post graduate degree in
veterinary medicine from China Agriculture
Asia has rescued
578
University in Beijing. Max has become an integral member of the
team in the ongoing assessment of the bears, monitoring
anaesthetics during health checks and taking an active role in a bears from the bile
industry in China
range of veterinary duties on site at both Chengdu and Nanning.
and Vietnam.

‘
Staff at It moved me to tears to see Sassy play
Chengdu stuffed
with another sun bear after all these 43,070

years. Life has been lonely for Sassy, but
I think she inally has the companionshe
marshmallows with
pills to help the bears ’ needs in friendly, playful little Layla.
take their meds.

‘Every day we prepare fresh and healthy Sarah Dempsey
Animals Asia Bear manager
food for the bears. The bears and their

rehabilitation are our priority. We have to onsite classroom

restore their broken faith in humans, and
’In 2015, our vet team performed dentals on two moon bears at
give them a better life.
Hanoi Zoo and provided training for onsite staff. With a “class” of
over 20 staff looking on, our team not only demonstrated how to
Ngo Thi Lan
extract fractured canines, but also provided training on drawing
Bear Kitchen Team Leader, Vietnam sanctuary
blood, physical examinations, pain management, and anaesthesia.

11