[Groop]bears

[Azamin]

This reminds me one of the Groo episode about poachers where animals are
hunted for some purposes where at the end, Groo released all the animals
in the cages.  (somewhere around issue 60 - 80)


BEARS CRY OUT FOR HUMANITY IN CHINA
http://www.geocities.com/Baja/2324/english.htm

         It's amazing that in the 20th century, when man has already
gone to the Moon and computers are globalizing knowledge, still there
are in China thousands of bears emprisoned in order to have their bile
extracted that, according to a long tradition of the chinese medicine,
claiming to cure many illnesses such as headache, kidney stones,
cirrhosis, hangover and lately used to make shampoo and aphrodisiacs.
There is very limited proof scientifically that any of this  really
works.

         In the past, only the Emporer and his court used this
substance. Nowadays, thousands of asians have access to the product. Its

demand increased so much , that China is bringing bears in from many
others countries to provide this  market. From the  8  different
species that they buy, 6 of them are endangered species.

         In expanding their business, in 1995 they created hundreds of
farms of bears, where over 10000 are kept emprisioned, layed down
horizontally on their urine and feces which burns their skin. The cage
is so small that they  cannot move themselves, not even to scratch.

         With their paw they pull the food through a small opening in
the cage. When they're thirsty, these poor animals have to streach their

tongue to reach some licks of water on the bars of the cage. They feel
horrible pain and spend about 15  years in the same position deforming
their bones. It means 15 years or 180 months or 5475 days or 131,400
hours or 78,844,000 minutes of continuous pain.

         During the bile extraction , they put a tube entering the gall
bladder and exiting out of the bears belly where a special  mechanism
sucks out the bile.The pain of these animals overtake all limits. They
roar , they mutilate or kill themselves.
     The bears are drugged and then strapped with metal waistbands then
are put into a cage with bars under pressure.

         A medicine made in this way is POISON!! It reminds us of
FRANKENSTEIN!

         To preserve the cultural reputation of chinese medicine , the
authorities are considering closing the more recent farms  when they can

declare an herb which can substitute for the bile. In this crucial
moment of political changes that happened
     in China, what is going to happen with the promises made with the
government about the bears freedom ? What will be the destiny of these
animals?

         But the recent changes in Hong Kong ownership in July of 1997,
portend a possible stronger reaction against  countries who interfere in

China's political decisions or conservation of China. The IFAW, an
english organization whose
     president is Prince Charles , has supported the idea of the closure

of the bear farms belonging to the Chinese  government.

         International appeals did get the chinese government to close 2

of their farms in1993 Zhuhai and 1995 Huizhou.

         We from Fauna Free are fighting together with national and
international organizations such as the  IFAW -INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR
ANIMAL WELFARE, http://www.ifaw.org , in order to mobilize human beings
who
     cannot sleep knowing that thousand of bears are suffering such an
atrocity in every minute of their lives.All of us need to pass this
information to as many societies and institutions we can. We need a
global movement against these atrocities.

         How long do we have to wait knowing that these bears are
continue to suffer ?

         The Bears can't wait anymore!

         We have to get international help to maintain pressure on the
Chinese government !

         You who are sad with the reality of the bears of China who want

to help but don't know how , contact us.  Get as many signatures for the

end of the bear farms as you can. We don't want any money, we just need
ACTION! If you want to help with money , you can. We have filmsand
pictures which are available to the
     media and all people who are interested in our cause.


     Best Regards
     Felicitas B.Barreto
     President of Fauna Free Group



                                            FAUNA FREE
      We call on everyone who is moral and ethical to mobilize people
and convince the Chinese authorities to stop at all this cruelty.
                    Spread these informations to your friend, relatives,

media, etc.
       Embrace this campaign for the bears who are suffering the whole
15 years of their lives.