Moon Bears of China and Jill Robinson
In 1998, Jill founded the animal welfare organization, Animals Asia, whose driving mission is to end bear bile farming. At about the time Jill moved to Hong Kong, bear farming intensified dramatically. Over 7000 bears were found kept in Chinese bear farms; additional animals were held in Korea and Vietnam. Animals Asia was founded to stop this practice and bring rescued bears to sanctuary. Rupert, whom we meet in Bearing Witness, is one of over 330 Moon Bears rescued by Jill and her staff.
Today, Animals Asia has over forty staff in Hong Kong, Australia, Italy, Germany, the UK and USA. In addition, to care for moon bears in their sanctuary in China, there are two veterinary surgeons, three vet nurses, three bear managers, twelve management staff and over 150 other staff overseeing care of the bears, administration, horticulture, maintenance, cleaning, cooking and security. In Vietnam, Animals Asia employs a Director, veterinary surgeon, nurse, two bear managers and twenty local education and administrative staff and bear workers.
These numbers speak volumes. Jill and others are undertaking the formidable task of changing human culture: putting what we know from science and sensibility into action. Animals Asia illustrates a new compassionate, trans-species culture in the making. Here, Jill takes time from her revolutionary work to share some of her personal experiences on this journey.
An Interview with Jill Robinson
How does the concept of "trans-species living" translate to your everyday life?
I've always had a variety of rescued dogs and cats in my home—the more disabled the better, until they grow old and my vet bills go through the roof! There is nothing like sharing your life with animals with various disabilities who really teach us to be better people: for instance, they simply adapt to circumstances, no matter how terrible, and overcome them all. My world is far richer from being in their company. For this reason, my life, what and how I live and make decisions, has been defined by my relationships with other animals. I founded Animals Asia to expand my beliefs from my personal life and family to other animals in need.
The circumstances of Animals Asia, our staff, and our bears could not be more tragic. Since October 2000 we have rescued 276 bears in China and 54 bears in Vietnam from hideous bear farms of both countries. With physical and psychological wounds so severe, and the fact that many bears never learned or long forgotten skills necessary for survival in the wild, there is scant possibility of these individuals ever being suitable for release into their natural habitat. Subsequently, our role and commitment to this truly remarkable endangered species is to house them in semi-natural sanctuaries that seek to emulate their wild, natural needs and desires as much as possible until the day they die.
During this process from rescue to sanctuary and life beyond, we learn more than can ever be adequately described about moon bear suffering, their values, needs, emotions and lives as a whole. We learn about their charismatic personalities, great minds, and how we can help them recover, find peace and happiness, and live meaningful lives. Over the years, we have learned to snub our noses at scientists who accuse of us of anthropomorphism. It is ironic because science has already proved to itself that we are right. Bears have the same capacity for joy, sorrow, pain, and curiosity—and all sorts of wonderful abilities—as we do. We have learned that they have great capacity for fun, mischievousness and grief. We saw Crystal entering a grieving phase when her enclosure friend, Gail, died. She paced more, she ate less, she was sad. We recognized her trauma and worked with her to help her transition to life without her friend. We see another Moon bear resident, Jasper, deliberately placing himself between two grumpy bears who are preparing themselves for a scrap and, before long, they usually end up playing between all three after Jasper has convinced them that peace is better than war. After working with so many bears who have experienced such horror, I am continually astounded by their stoicism and their capacity to forgive.
Describe how your work and commitment to other animals has influenced your personal life: what you eat, social relationships, your attitudes, and habits?
The Animals Asia vision is one committed to the creation of a new era of compassion and respect for animals. We accomplish this by promoting a change in human attitudes. In that sense, I have to admit to being utterly absorbed and consumed in the focus of this work and our ultimate goals. In truth, the whole team of Animals Asia is particularly driven in this respect— especially in terms of our sanctuaries in China and Vietnam. Many of us have grown emotionally, psychologically and spiritually through a process of challenge in respect of our individual professional and personal lives. We have each witnessed profound suffering and death on a scale that is pretty much off the chart. However, such is the support from government, communities and individuals in Asia today, we are cognizant of change and optimistic for success and believe that the day will come when bear farming will end.
Much of my time is spent on site at our larger bear sanctuary in China—a refuge once described as "food for the soul" where, to borrow Tolstoy's words, our bears have the sacred right to the gladness of spring. At this time of year it is glorious and makes me know why we are here. The bears have slumbered through the cold winter months and are slowly waking up to the smell of new life breathing its way across their enclosures. The grass, plants, and warm sun are gently rousing them into curious foraging and play.
There, at our sanctuary, I can "lose" myself in a place of peace, wandering by our 14 different enclosures housing bears of various species (black, brown, hybrid) before walking back to the office in my room invigorated and prepared for the day's work ahead.
As a vegetarian I try to lead life by doing least harm (and of course recognize that a vegan lifestyle will be even more dedicated in that regard so am eating very little dairy today). My favorite and most regular meal is simply a huge plate of different vegetables—spicy chutney and guacamole, or when at our sanctuaries of course eating the local vegetarian food which, in Sichuan is hot and spicy and in Vietnam the best spring rolls in the world.
What are some of the personal challenges you have encountered?
My husband John and I were married and together for over twenty years but separated about six years ago. I can't say my work was unrelated to this and it's clear that our lives grew apart, but we remain best friends and he is the Chairman of our Hong Kong Board of Directors. It's often said that bears don't like conflict and I think the same can be said of me—I like my relationship with John. It suits us both and is based simply on common trust and understanding between us. And he still makes me laugh.
Is there a difference between having relationships with other animals and those with humans? Are there some relationships with certain humans that are the same or similar as those with certain animals?
A wonderful question! During my nearly 25 years in Asia, I've rescued many dogs, cats and bears and each one— just like humans of course—has a different character to the last. John and I had a rescued dog several years ago called Jasper. He bit everyone, even us, but we loved him. He was smart, knew what he wanted and had a line we simply knew not to cross. It wasn't a case of showing him who was boss— we tried various suggested methods to help him learn, all of which failed. Finally, we had one option with Jasper—his way, or the highway. The alternative was simply unthinkable so we compromised, kept him away from our friends, and life was fine until he finally died when he was ten.
Today, there is another Jasper in my life—a bear who was crushed in a cage and abused on a bear farm for 15 years and, today, is our peacemaker of the sanctuary in Chengdu. Unlike most humans I really believe that Jasper (along with many other bears) has an incredible capacity to forgive. Not once has he behaved aggressively towards a species that has caused him so much harm, pain and neglect and he remains a mischievous and very charismatic bear.
Additionally, there are friends in our lives with whom we empathize, and with whom we almost "migrate" towards a closer relationship in the belief that something quite special is shared between us. Jasper is one of those bears who "reaches out" in a different way to me. Almost every time I walk past where he sleeps out in the enclosure I call his name and see his big "Mickey Mouse" ears prick up before he lifts his head and glances my way. Opening the door of his bear house, it's not long before he wanders over for some treats, and gently licks peanut butter from my fingers.
In March 2008 we had 28 caged bears arrive from the farms in Sichuan province. It was a truly awful time, with 11 bears lost to injury and disease in the first three days and yet, after every funeral, there was Jasper sitting by the fence line of his enclosure as we walked sadly back to our rooms. It's something I actually didn't mention to the team thinking they would laugh and force me into admitting once again to having a favorite, until various other staff members began commenting too that his presence—always there—was as if he "knew" and connected with our grief. I have no embarrassment saying that, as much as we rescue the bears, they rescue us too.
Do you have contradictions in your life between what you envision and believe and how you are actually able to live?
The one constraint in my life is learning how—and often failing—to be patient. Working in Asia, one sees many hurdles and frustrations—particularly when so many of the bears who arrive from the terrible farms go on to die from liver cancer. Aside from the awful pain, and the pathology we witness from their traumatized bodies, it is beyond me why this practice is allowed to persist when their contaminated bile is allowed to enter into the human medicine and health chain. For instance, does no-one in authority actually question the number of bears in China dying from tumors weighing up to 7.5kgs in weight? Does nobody make the connection between human patients admitted to Vietnamese hospitals arriving with inflamed stomachs after consuming bear bile? Why can’t they conclude that bear farm facilities need to be investigated from a public health point of view? How is it that people can go along with the terrible suffering that the bears endure? What is extremely difficult to deal with is that no one takes our evidence urgently to end the terrible abuse. This weighs heavily on my heart.
However, we continue on, helping each bear, gathering essential information and turning the tide. Things will change—and the remit and unrelenting drive of Animals Asia is to accelerate this change and achieve our final goal.
More about moon bears and Jill Robinson
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"Science in service to animals"
courtesy of Animals Asia