It began with a journalist in Yunnan Province who was so incensed to see that a bear farm was applying to be listed on a stock exchange that he began posting messages on Sina Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter) — and it all went from there.

Because of its involvement in bear bile farming, Gui Zhen Tang's application has sparked protests around China, with the public opposition growing stronger every day.

The company in question — a producer of bear bile with 470 bears — is looking to increase the number to 1,200 bears and the annual production of bile to 4,000 tonnes.

We are encouraged to see the groundswell of public opinion against bear bile farming. This shows that the Chinese people are increasingly concerned about animal welfare issues and are making themselves heard through the internet.

The outrage has come from the heart of China’s citizens everywhere, registering their anger and concern in literally thousands of posts. And local and international media are coming in droves to learn more about this cruel practice and to tell the story of bear farming to a worldwide audience.

It is five years this month that we said goodbye to our first rescued bear, Andrew, after he died from the ravages of bear farming and bile extraction. This news is for you Andrew — a dream come true that the public in China are so outraged about the industry — and taking over our jobs!