November opened an exciting new chapter in the campaign against bear farming: a farmer actually gave his bears to AAF with no expectation or request for remuneration, the first time this has happened.  Mr Nguyen had read about Animals Asia and seen its work on TV. With a conscience troubled by his involvement in the cruel bear bile business, he made the decision to end the misery for his 14 bears, who had been trapped on the farm for at least eight years.  Several are missing paws, most likely as a result of snare-trapping in the wild.

Sadly 40 bears still remain on the farm, owned by other bear farm partners. But hopefully the compassionate act of this man will encourage the other owners to rethink their participation in this cruel industry.

To read about this rescue and view more photos, click the photos below.

The significance of this particular rescue cannot be overstated….. When I was in Vietnam, our hotel manager in Hanoi apologised profusely to me for the treatment of bears on the bear-bile farms. People’s views _are_ changing. The good fortune of these 14 bears vindicates the tireless work carried out by organisations such as Animals Asia on behalf of animals who are not in a position to defend themselves. AAF’s charter is not just about rescuing bears, it’s about changing consciousness.

It’s fabulous news for 14 bears and our paws are crossed for the 40 that were left behind. But it does mean that there is now even more pressure on the facilities at Tam Dao where Jigsaw lives. These new arrivals will require all the same veterinary checks & medications  (just look at those terrible paws above), special diets and occupational therapy to restore their atrophied muscles. Not to mention all the other delights Jigsaw already enjoys: sunshine, grass, fresh browse, swimming – all things that bears should naturally have access to .

All the more reason to keep up OUR support for Jigsaw…

But imagine how Mr Nguyen will feel when he visits the sanctuary, hopefully with his (recent) business partners, to see how healthy and happy his bears have become. Surely that, more than anything will persuade them to release the remaining 40 bears to AAF….

Hooray for Us!!! We raised over $2500 – a stupendous effort for what amounted to 6 hours selling Trash’n'Treasure, with most items under $10. Now that’s a LOT of sales.

And in bear language, that’s 2 whole months of Bear Care Club costs taken care of in just one morning! So it’s a substantial contribution towards Jigsaw’s annual upkeep.

An early start is de rigeur – and we’re talking 4am – so that stall set-up can get underway by 5 am. Thankfully it’s just light enough to see what you’re doing (I can’t imagine doing a stall in winter). Once again I had a very committed team of helpers (including some genuine early-birders – a must!) and before long we had our new tent and banner erected, with Bernadette’s colourful bunting streaming out to the corners. Before you could rub the sleep from your eyes the dealers came, poking around with their torches, hoping to sniff out the bargains. From then on it was Game On! with hardly a breath drawn till final pack-down at 1pm! Those who could joined us back at the house for much-earned drinks & BBQ enjoying the thrill of the Money Counting Ceremony!

Highlights of the Day

Funniest Home Video of the day awarded to the chocolate labrador who lunged into the basket of toys and triumphantly dragged out a chicken!

Most Generous Purchase of the day – small collectible teacup & saucer set sold for $90 to a lady who wanted a small gift that would donate a large sum to our cause

Cutest Purchase of the day to a very determined young man who appropriated the small wooden toy cart I had set aside “out the back” of the stall for myself. He clasped the handle firmly and marched it up the footpath. His mother came running back with a fistful of dollars

Cleverest Marketing idea : handing out AAMB “business cards” with every purchase

Best Conversations of the day: with people who remembered us from last year and couldn’t wait to support us again

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

To all of you who donated goods

To all of you who helped me sort and sift

To all of you who came along to assist on the day

To all of you who sent wishes for a successful day

To all of you who keep showing up to support AAMB

A BIG thank you on behalf of Jigsaw and his bear buddies. Their lives are healthier and happier because YOU care to make a difference

Our Very own Jigsaw!

I can hardly believe that we have already been back for two weeks, yet still not had time to tell you about our fabulous visit to see Jigsaw at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre !

Meeting Jigsaw and seeing him with all his bear buddies was a dream come true!! Unless you visit an AAF sanctuary you’re unlikely to ever see such happy, contented bears in your whole life! We almost had to remind ourselves that only 2 years ago, these big, black, glossy creatures were hungry, thin, dull-furred bears, living with the pain of their abusive existence on bear-bile farms.

Suffice to say we laughed – and cried – at the sight of these lovely bears, making the most of their new lives, overseen with such care and devotion by all the staff at VBRC. Tuan, what a great team you have!! I bring home such a deep sense of gratitude that Jigsaw and his friends are being cared for so lovingly by you all.

Over the next few months I will share more about our visit: meeting and talking with the staff, the world of the bears (including the family of Sun bears), plus more about Jigsaw (of course!). I managed to get quite a bit of video footage of bears foraging, playing, chilling and just choofing around their enclosures. I’m looking forward to creating some little Youtube videos that will bring the bears’ world into your world and hopefully all the way into your hearts. I tell you, once you see them up close and personal, you want to do everything possible to rescue as many bears as you can from their horrible plight on the farms.
AAF has extensive expansion plans for the Rescue Centre as over half the bears at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre are still waiting for additional outside enclosures to be built. They too deserve to enjoy the sun on their backs and the grass under their feet, just like our very, very lucky Jigsaw. Everything we can do to support our boy Jigsaw means that other donated money can be directed to these much-needed new enclosures.

Camberwell Market Stall this Sunday November 6

I’ll have to blame Jigsaw for the news blackout as I have been busily organising his Market Stall for this coming Sunday November 6. The house is bulging with donated goodies as are Bill’s eyes as he surveys the back shed and spare room. Thank you to all who have emptied their cupboards!

Paws crossed for good weather and a generous crowd of shoppers! Please come along and join us, and meet some of the gang. Remember to bring your friends.

I can’t believe that October is here….and that means a very momentous occasion draws near!  Next week I am heading off to Vietnam along with 4 friends to meet Jigsaw for the very first time at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre near the hill town of Tam Dao!  Understandably we will only be visiting the bears for one day of our 10 day tour so have planned an interesting itinerary in the region around Hanoi, including some walking in the Sapa region where the Hmong communities live, and an overnight cruise on Halong Bay for some R&R.  But truth be told, the trip to  the north of Hanoi, at the edge of Tam Dao National Park, that will be the much anticipated highlight for me. I am quickly acquiring rudimentary skills with a video camera so hopefully the weather will be kind and Jigsaw and his bear buddies will be out and about, performing like stars!!!

We are very lucky that Tuan, the director of the Rescue Centre will be on hand to welcome us before we are given a tour of the facility by staff.  After that I’m looking forward to just sitting and watching the bears go about  their  everyday lives, ever mindful that, were it not for the unremitting dedication of AAF, these bears would have still been enduring a truly awful existence on bear-bile farms.

November 6 Market Stall

Shortly after our return to Australia we will be holding our mammoth Trash’n'Treasure stall at Camberwell Sunday Market.  Last year we raised $2000. This year is gearing up to be another big success (paws crossed), if the steady stream of goods being contributed (for sale) is any indication.

Our presence at the Market “brings the message to the people” in a very visible way, giving us the opportunity to share the stories and plights of bears like Jigsaw, as well as highlighting the extraordinary work of AAF.  Our stall offers market-goers a very tangible, yet pleasurable way of supporting the bears. Come and visit our stall on November 6th!

Stay tuned for the next update which will hopefully include pictures of You Know Who!!!

Project Sunshine

The number of orphaned cubs and wild-caught adult bears coming to the Moon Bear Rescue Centre near Hanoi has skyrocketed over the past two years, from 27 bears at the end of June 2009 to 87 today. The Vietnamese authorities want to help AAF rescue more bears but AAF’s resources are starting to feel the strain.

They urgently need to build a new bear house with outdoor enclosures so that over 30 bears still waiting in dens can run and swim in the sunshine, some for the first time in their lives.

Our direct support of Jigsaw helps free up other (donated) money so that it can be put towards the much-needed new bear facilities.

Well I’m sitting through a pretty wet and gloomy Melbourne and I wonder if Jigsaw is sitting through similar weather at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre, north of Hanoi, except I bet he’s a whole lot warmer than me!! It’s monsoon season up his way, but given how much bears like water, he’s probably pretty happy.

Thank you to our supporters who squeaked a donation in before the end of our (Australian) tax year.  Jigsaw is starting to “fill in” nicely and we are almost 1/3 way to our new target of $7000.

When we take on the responsibility of caring for Jigsaw it enables AAF to direct other donors’ money towards a multitude of projects: care of (other) bears, construction of bear enclosures &  veterinary buildings, creating & overseeing education programs for schools, communities and governments.  Our “little bit” goes a long way towards fulfilling a much bigger vision!

Remember our big fuNraising success at the Camberwell Trash’n'Treasure market last year?  (see October blog).  We are planning on running another stall in early November so, if you live in Melbourne and enjoy a little cupboard cleaning, please think of us if you have goodies to donate - just contact me via this website.

There are some fabulous new Youtubes up about the bears at AAF’s rescue centres. Here is one of them:

Oliver was a brown bear rescued after 30 years of incarceration on bear farms. His body is terribly stunted yet he manages to totter around contentedly.   Watch this short, very moving video of Oliver as he enjoys his life of belated freedom.

From 30 years in a cage to the pleasures of a swing!

It might be getting a bit chilly here in Melbourne, but Jigsaw and his friends are enjoying their Spring weather at Tam Dao sanctuary, Vietnam. In fact, it could be said he’s settled in very nicely!

Am I loving this !!!!

I am currently putting the final touches on the new-look website and hope to have it up in a week’s time!

Stay tuned for more about Jigsaw’s Rescue and our new fuN-raising campaign to support him in the lifestyle to which he is rapidly becoming accustomed!

In the meantime, you can check out Jigsaw and his friends at Animals Asia website. There are some lovely snaps of these bears enjoying their first Springtime outside of a cage, relishing the chance to sit in trees, swing in hammocks and just snooze in the sun…  click here

Mama soaks up the sun in gentle appreciation