Gillian M Thomas

I became interested in saving bears when I went to China as part of a fundraising tour which included visiting Chengdu and Animals Asia's bear sanctuary.

Visiting the sanctuary and meeting Jill was such an eye-opener, it really affected me. I cried a lot when seeing the cages that the bears had been kept in on bile farms. Walking round the sanctuary and seeing the bears so happy, I decided to become a Bear Guardian to a lovely bear who I named Thomas after our family name. It’s a wonderful gift for my family and they love to see Thomas' photos and hear how he is doing. My family knows that they are helping to save these beautiful creatures from a life of hell. It's one of the best things we have done and continue to do.