Two new bears have joined our Animals Asia family – a young female in China and a middle-aged male in Vietnam. I’ll write more in my next blog about the tragic story of “Misa Hai” in Vietnam, who was kept in a terrible, dark cage for 14 years.
JILL'S BLOG
Recent Posts
Earlier this month, our amazing Italian office helped to organise the most beautiful concert for our bears: “Uno Stradivari per la Luna” (A Stradivari for the Moon).
Just recently we proudly welcomed our UK trekkers on site in Vietnam. These unsung heroes had trekked over inhospitable terrain for lengths of anything up to 10 hours a day to raise money for the bears, and arrived with us exhausted, but unbowed.
Thank you all so very much for your good wishes and beautiful thoughts for Franzi, which are still coming in. Not surprisingly, so many people were heartbroken that she had passed away, but no one more than her own team of caring bear workers here in Chengdu.
Imagine being born into an empty world, a world with nobody to comfort you, nobody to keep you warm, no hands to cradle you and nobody to provide for your instant needs, just an empty cavernous void.
When celebrity chef Simon Bryant arrived on site at our bear sanctuary in Chengdu, it was smiles all round. Simon is a fabulously popular personality in Australia and this talented chef and committed animal lover was happy to help in any way he could to benefit China’s dogs, cats and bears!
Many of our rescued bears in China and Vietnam are sleeping longer and eating less, telling us that winter's on the way. For the more active youngsters still bouncing around the sanctuary with their friends, I think they might have guessed that some festive goodies may be coming their way soon. If you'd like to make it a special Christmas for them - and for your family and friends - please consider buying your holiday gifts from us this year.
Chu Chu grinned as he always did – that silly beaming smile of his that stretches from ear to ear – and the years rolled back. It was Sunday, 18th October and my first visit in many years to Panyu, southern China, but the bears hadn’t changed one jot.
While some friends and supporters have been visiting us in China and Vietnam, others have been helping us from home and putting their hearts and souls into local fundraisers for our Honey Money Days.
A busy and exciting few weeks in Chengdu with visitors from afar arriving back to back on site. Just last month we welcomed long-standing supporters Denise Kirchen and friends from Luxembourg who have, over the years, adopted no less than 25 bears and sponsored a whole bear house!
Jill's Bio
Jill founded Animals Asia in 1998, after an encounter with a caged bear on a farm in China changed her life forever. She now heads a team of over 300 enthusiastic staff and divides her time between our bear rescue centres in China and Vietnam and our Hong Kong head office. She travels extensively to participate in conferences and speak at fundraising events.
Read more here.
