Our sanctuaries are always buzzing with activity, with the serious day-to-day management and care of the bears (dogs and cats) and often with important research being simultaneously carried out. This work can strengthen our arguments against the vile bile industries of China and Vietnam.

Sometimes, however, we take the opportunity, simply, to have fun! And fun was what it was all about recently when my sister Anne, her husband Steve, and their daughter Nicole came out to see us in Chengdu and meet the team.

With a sleeping Banjo on the surgery table for a dental, our vet team dug out a little scrub top and surgical gloves for 11-year-old Nicole to wear and invited her to help them with a health-check.

 Carefully following instructions from vet nurse Hayley, Nicole injected Banjo with antibiotics and painkillers.

She also took his temperature – never once blinking an eye as she quickly realised that the thermometer wasn’t actually to be placed in his mouth!

High on the priority list was taking Banjo’s paw-prints with non-toxic paint – these prints help us raise much-needed funds during roadshows and other events.

Usually, lemon paint and black card are used (ie, the colours of the black bears and their yellow crescent moons), but Hayley remembered that Nicole loved pink, and so red and white paint was mixed together to make a lovely shade of baby pink!

Here's a lovely pic of Nicole and Anne and one of Nicole getting to know cheeky Jasper:

It was lucky that Banjo’s friends weren’t around to see his paw painted with such a girlie colour, but the final result was gorgeous. Health-check and paw painting complete, Banjo was duly woken up in his recovery cage to be spoiled rotten over the next couple of days after three broken canines were removed.

Just before moving his cage into the hospital ward, someone shouted, “Snake!” and we all jumped in surprise as a decent-sized snake slithered along the corridor floor.

Luckily Bear Team Supervisor Rocky was on hand to scoop it up and release it safely into the forest.

The night before all this excitement had been our party on site to celebrate Animals Asia’s 11th Anniversary on August 8th. Ever-creative, Rainbow took the opportunity of taking a pic with the whole team standing in the courtyard and forming the number “11”.

The fun and games continued Chengdu-style well into the evening, with some "Olympian" efforts from the team!