Staying with Vietnam in this blog, I can't help getting goosebumps whenever I see Vandrew wandering around outside. He arrived nine months ago on 1 July, and it was like turning the clock back nearly 11 years when I first looked into his eyes. There blinking out of his cage – thin, depleted, wounds on his head and with one entire front limb missing from the shoulder – was the double of Andrew, our first rescued bear in China all those years ago in October 2000.
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From all your kind wishes and prayers, I know that many of you are anxious for news of Snoopy, who had cataracts removed from both her eyes, thanks to the generosity of a wonderful team of UK ophthalmologists.
It is with great sadness I write that one of our Hong Kong Board members, Bradley Caine, passed away yesterday. Brad was a longtime supporter of Animals Asia, generous sponsor of Gladly, and one of the best friends anyone could wish to have. His warmth and kindness, and terrible sense of humour carried him through many years of fighting cancer and earned him the respect of being the bravest man on the planet.
Spring is here, and in Vietnam that means the confiscation of terrified cubs from the illegal bear farming industry. Safe, but by no means out of the woods, please welcome our two new family members — pint-sized Milo and Sean, teeny 2.5kgs cubs, missing mum and fighting to survive. Congratulations to Tuan, Kirsty and our Vietnam team for working so closely with the authorities to rescue these youngsters and give them the chance of a life far away from the farms.
It’s not just people celebrating Earth Hour across the world — our bears are too. Join ChuChu in Chengdu and Vandrew in Vietnam and show the planet you care. Switch off the lights for an hour tonight at 8.30pm.
As Milo and Sean begin their long journey to recovery — gradually trusting people, gaining the size and confidence to finally meet up with other bears when they’re older, I wish we could reassure them that it’ll all be ok.
ohn arrived with us many years ago at our bear rescue sanctuary in Chengdu. A poor macaque who had been someone's pet as a youngster, before he matured and began to behave like adult primates do. Faced with an unpredictable mammal with very large teeth and attitude, his owners decided he was too dangerous to handle and asked the local Forestry Department to help them find a home.
This month gets more exciting by the day as the public rallies against bear farming in China. Just have a look here and see the progress that has escalated over the past few weeks, reminding me of advice many years ago from an official who simply said, “Start the debate in China”.
What an exceptionally nice guy Morgan is. And incredibly brave too. Embarking on a solo motorbike journey of 20,000km in 115 days, visiting 10 countries, in a fundraiser which will help 10 charities - including us.
Our hearts go out to the people of Japan following yesterday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.
