kimthecat Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 I've seen an article about this before in a newspaper and it is horrific but it did say that some of the children were upset so perhaps there is hope there that things can be changed in the future. Alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegk68 Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 (edited) China's Wildlife Parks: Not Quite the Animal Haven Since it opened on November 28, 1995, the Shanghai Wildlife Park has proven to be a huge success, according to a May 27 report in the Shanghai Morning Post.Xu Jianzhong from the park's management department said each tiger or lion gets between six and eight kilograms of meat each day, fortified with vitamins and minerals. But, according to the newspaper report, things aren't all hunky-dory in the park. According to the park's tour guide, five daily performances are arranged for visitors, involving sea lions, lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys, and dog and horse races. During one of the performances on May 26, an accident happened. A monkey was to have jumped from the back of an elephant onto the backs of two alpacas. The monkey missed and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The audience was aghast, and some people were overheard saying: "How many times has the poor thing hurt itself during practice?" At noon the same day, while the lions and tigers slept, the newspaper reporter witnessed a keeper encouraging visitors to pose for photos, and proceeded to beat the lions and tigers with an iron pole. He said: "We've removed their claws, so they can't hurt you." "We frequently see animals being whipped by their trainers if they hesitate during a performance," said a volunteer from the investigation group. "Wildlife parks in foreign countries don't subject their animals to dangerous performances, but they do in China because that's how they attract visitors." Living conditions in many wildlife parks are poor. Although many parks are sprawling, the land is for the more for the benefit of visitors than the animals. It is not uncommon to find many animals squeezed into a single enclosure or cage. Official Response to Reports of Animal Cruelty The State Council Information Office held a press conference on Thursday to give its response to foreign media concerns about bile extraction from bears and other animal welfare issues. Wang Wei, deputy chief of the Department of Wildlife Conservation under the State Forestry Administration, said: "Before we find good alternatives for bear bile, we do not have a timetable to eliminate the practice." Bear bile, considered an indispensable ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, is used in 123 drugs and has an efficacy not matched by any other substance, Wang said. As a result, a host of patients rely on medicines containing bear bile for treatment. "So we must consider both the needs of medical treatment and the protection of wild bears, and find a win-win solution," Wang said. He said that when bile-extraction technology was introduced to China, some used surgically implanted metal tubes, causing tremendous pain to the animals. Other issues also addressed by officials at the press conference were: Skinning animals: Cases of animals such as dogs and cats skinned alive is sporadic in some areas, Yu Fachang, a division director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, said. Sharks' fin: Yu said Chinese consumers are being advised to change their dietary habits and eat less of the traditional delicacy. Li Yanliang, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture, said China strictly adheres to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, and has not violated the ban on the fishing of whale shark, basking shark or great white shark that are listed in the convention. Dog killing: Guo Weimin, chief of the news department of the State Council Information Office, refuted some recent foreign media reports of the practice of public dog slaughters in Guangzhou of south China and some other cities. (China.org.cn, China Daily January 13, 2006) Full articles HERE Chinese consumers are being advised to change their dietary habits and eat less of the traditional delicacy. Oh well that's OK then - sorry, am going slightly, well a lot really, off topic! Edited May 22, 2007 by tegk68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kats inc Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 One of my colleagues just went to China for a holiday.She is an animal lover.To me the two things just don't go together.No matter how much I might want to see some things in China I wouldn't even contemplate visiting the place and giving them a penny of my money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaos Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 No matter how much I might want to see some things in China I wouldn't even contemplate visiting the place and giving them a penny of my money Me neither! I've just heard (on our local news), that loads of Chinese business's are coming to Kent. They won't be getting my money either...whatever they're selling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegk68 Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 One of my colleagues just went to China for a holiday.She is an animal lover.To me the two things just don't go together.No matter how much I might want to see some things in China I wouldn't even contemplate visiting the place and giving them a penny of my money sadly I find myself in the same predicament. The husbands sister (SIL from hell) lives there with her satan love child. She's been there nearly 5 years and has thankfully no plans to return to the UK. We haven't visited once and she's been over here just the 2 times. In order to cement this relationship as disfunctional at best build bridges the OH has suggested we visit in October this year and I don't want to for so many reasons Anyway, sorry, I digress (sp) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Why is it that the mentality of the chinese who were watching is so different from ours? We (or i did) gasp as something like that happens and yet they smile, laugh and clap hands... Well, I suppose it's not that long ago in historical terms that a public hanging was considered high entertainment in this country, not to mention dog fighting, bear-baiting, cockfighting etc etc. Pretty much every country has had some appalling ideas about what constitutes entertainment at some stage in their history. It is horrible (I couldn't watch all the video) and anything that can help bring change is to be welcomed, but I don't think we should be too quick to take the moral high ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 I found that so distressing, that is sick, sick, sick, Just look at those kids faces 'enjoying' the spectacle. I really wish something could be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDFan Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 One of my colleagues just went to China for a holiday.She is an animal lover.To me the two things just don't go together.No matter how much I might want to see some things in China I wouldn't even contemplate visiting the place and giving them a penny of my money I agree, no way I could visit Well, I suppose it's not that long ago in historical terms that a public hanging was considered high entertainment in this country, not to mention dog fighting, bear-baiting, cockfighting etc etc. Pretty much every country has had some appalling ideas about what constitutes entertainment at some stage in their history. It is horrible (I couldn't watch all the video) and anything that can help bring change is to be welcomed, but I don't think we should be too quick to take the moral high ground. I also agree with Fee, it doesn't make what happens in China right, but we've had and still have some appalling practices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 China has had human rights abuses of its own citizens reported by organisations such as Amnesty International as well as in the countries that have been annexed ( Tibet for example ) if you can abuse people then animals must be an easier target , neither is right but I have often felt they go hand in hand ( if you can do one you can do the other ) I have not watched the links posted here but did see footage on Sky News , its totally vile and I hope the mass press exposure does something to help the suffering of these poor creatures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 (edited) Every time i see things like this about China i really struggle to not condemn the whole country, like others i wouldn't set foot in the place, i just can't understand why they feel no empathy for anything apart from themselves, look at the treatment they dish out to the orphans in China (remember the Dying Rooms documentary), i think their society is so different from a western view point that i personally will always struggle to understand them. I seem to remember reading something that explained that because the Chinese and Japanese were never big on hunting, both being primarily vegetarian (in the past) they never developed a working relationship with animals (particularly dogs) and so never valued them or had any sort of relationship other than eating them. I will always remember the documentary that highlighted the eating of cats and dogs in China, the footage of a cat being clubbed, skinned and plunged into a boiling vat still alive haunts me still, you could hear the camera man saying " it's still alive, Christ it's still alive" I really can't put into words how that makes me feel, i wouldn't even try as it would be seriously offensive edited to say, i also realise Britain ain't so squeaky clean now or in the past, Fee is absolutly right about us enjoying an execution in the past, and we really don't have the right to be taking the moral high ground, but it is difficult not to when confronted with such images Edited May 23, 2007 by celeste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simikins Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Not seen the video clip, but if it is the same as i just saw in a newspaper, then it is awful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly1712 Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 One of my colleagues just went to China for a holiday.She is an animal lover.To me the two things just don't go together.No matter how much I might want to see some things in China I wouldn't even contemplate visiting the place and giving them a penny of my money Me neither! I really can't bring myself to look at the links, it sounds disgusting enough! Some horrifying things go off all over the World but to me China just seems to be way behind when it comes to animal welfare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Dobie Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Along the same lines Chinese Animal Olympics Surely a petition has been started to heighlight all this and to disuade "Team Great Britain" from going to the 2008 Olympics. ....I can't find one..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Given China's record for human rights, never mind animal welfare, i find it absolutely appalling that the Olympics are being held there, it just goes to show how corrupt the whole thing is, money is most definitely king in this case, it would have sent a much needed message to China if they had been told that because of their continued human and animal abuse the Olympics would never be held there until they cleaned up their act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kats inc Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 (edited) And their horrific pollution of the environment They are the world's worst offenders now as they have become so industrialised. Good reason all round to boycott I say. Edited to add picture Edited June 2, 2007 by Kats inc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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