Oliver was trapped in a cage little larger than his body for 30 years, his stomach mutilated to let bile drip out.

He was rescued in 2010 and enjoyed four happy years of freedom in our sanctuary. He died two years ago today.

As we remember Oliver’s Day, four more victims of the bear bile trade have been freed from cages and are on their way home to our sanctuary.

There is no better way to honour Oliver’s memory than by rescuing more bears from the same horrendous fate he suffered. Meanwhile his legacy is continuing to help end the cruelty.

Here is what he taught us:

1/ Bear bile farming causes unimaginable suffering

We had known it for years, but the extreme case of Oliver’s agony gave us unarguable evidence of this industry’s inhumanity.

Oliver’s body was bent forever by the iron bars of his cage. It gave him no way to stop his stomach being mutilated and a pipe inserted into his gallbladder to extract a medicine nobody needs.

That Oliver survived 30 years of this was a miracle. That any bear lives through the torture, defies explanation.

That Oliver lived through it can only be described as an act of will. You can help more bears like Oliver by pledging a monthly gift today.

2/ Every day we can give back to a bear is worth it

Animals Asia’s supporters were able to give Oliver four years of peace at our sanctuary. Here he could forage, swim, sun bathe and feel the grass beneath his paws and learn how to be the bear he was born to be.

We can never give back the years that are stolen from these animals, nor right the wrongs that have been done to them, but we can give them the life they deserve. Oliver’s capacity to forgive amazed his carers.

On a bile farm every day must have been the same for Oliver – until the day his rescuers arrived. We work for those days, the happy days afterwards we are able to give rescued bears and for the day this cruelty ends.

3/ We must never give up – it’s never just one bear

Every bear rescued from a bile farm is another nail in the industry’s coffin. Each animal tells a story, each scar is irrefutable proof of the industry’s cruelty.

Each rescue story raises awareness.

Each rescue helps all bears. Bears that are suffering on a vast scale for a medicine that is entirely unnecessary. Once people know the truth behind each vial of bile, they can no longer justify its use.

As we return to Vietnam’s Gia Lai province, we are reminded of this lesson. Our recent success in making Quang Ninh province bear bile free inspired Forest Protection Department officials to see their jurisdiction follow suit. They saw there was a way out for the bears and were given the belief that bear bile farming could be ended. Because of this, four more bears are free.

The more bears we rescue, the more evidence mounts, the greater the awareness, and the nearer we come to ending this vile practice forever.

4/ People everywhere abhor this trade and will join hands to end it

The people of China revile the horrors of bear bile farming. During his rescue, Oliver’s life was saved through roadside surgery. It was surgery made possible by the kindness, compassion and willingness to help of a local hospital. They gave their facilities and equipment freely and without hesitation to save his life.

Meanwhile police helped with traffic and people crowded around the truck – cheering on our efforts.

We see this compassion everyday. It is not limited by borders nor cultures. We see it too when we raise awareness in schools, universities, at concerts and in village halls in China and Vietnam and across the world. Together we can end the cruelty.

5/ It’s not just one voice or one person that can change the world – one animal can too

We’re often told that one person, or even one voice can change the world. For 30 years Oliver’s world was a cage of pain. That was all he knew. Meanwhile the world knew nothing of him.

Then in 2010 he was rescued. He almost died on the roadside but the skills of our vets and the kindness of strangers saved him. It ended with hundreds of people crowding the rescue truck to follow his progress. It is a day they will never forget.

The movie Cages of Shame further shared the story of his rescue and the legend of Oliver grew. His own stoic bravery and determination to make the best of his life – by this stage in our sanctuary – made people love him all the more.

Thousands visited the sanctuary to see him. Millions more read about him in China and across the world. In doing so they learned about his suffering and they learned about the horrors of bear bile farming.

He died in November 2014 but his legend lives on. His story continues to inspire and educate.

We were so privileged to change your world Oliver – thank you for changing ours.

Please consider joining Animals Asia as a regular supporter of Animals Asia and our mission to end bear bile farming in his memory.

BACK