Animals Asia http://www.animalsasia.org/

Shanghai Animal Olympics
Cruelty in the name of entertainment!

As soon as Animals Asia received word of the disgusting Animal Olympics held in the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, AAF Executive Director, Annie Mather, immediately flew to Shanghai to investigate and document the appalling treatment.

The park is one of many such parks throughout China, which invent unusual and invariably cruel ways to attract more visitors. Normally empty during the week, they take the opportunity to increase revenue at weekends and public holidays, such as China's "Golden Week" holiday in early October. Shows like the "Animal Olympics" are an added attraction and tour buses filled with visitors looking for thrills pour in from provinces across China.

AAF documented several shows which incorporated cheetahs, lions, tigers, bears, macaques, poodles, a Golden Monkey, a chimpanzee, a zebra, a llama and an elephant performing various inane tricks to blaring pop music. Juvenile Moon Bears were forced to box each other violently in front of a screaming crowd and signs advertised kangaroo boxing. One can only imagine the constant stress and fear that all of these wild animals live under, not to mention the undoubtedly barbaric training methods that take place behind closed doors.

A popular source of revenue is the opportunity to have your photo taken with a wild animal for RMB10 – 20 (US$1.25 - 2.50). Animals included cheetahs, tigers, lion cubs, Brown Bears and Moon Bears, poodles, a Golden Monkey, a chimpanzee, a camel and an elephant (i.e. many of the same animals that also took part in the shows). The animals were cruelly chained up and often their mouths wired shut. Many were also barbarically declawed. Despite the park's efforts to control the animals, these photo taking opportunities are potentially very dangerous, as evidenced by the continual growling by the Brown Bear dressed in a blue sailor's suit. Annie also witnessed a Golden Monkey escape into the crowd during one of the shows.

All of the animals witnessed were in an inappropriate environment, unable to express even the most basic

natural behaviour and under constant stress. The Moon Bears were forced to stand all day and clap their hands continuously and one poor blind Moon Bear was repeatedly jabbed with a metal stick every time he moved. As with many of the animals in the park, his spirit was completely broken.

With no legislation to protect wild or domestic animals in China, parks such as these continue to exploit animals for financial gain. Until there are laws there is little action that can be taken.

What we are doing

AAF is writing to the Mayor of Shanghai calling for the immediate cessation of these performances and the end of this yearly event once and for all. As a gesture of our concern and in an attempt to provide a solution for at least one of the miserable animals Annie saw, we are offering a permanent home at our Moon Bear Rescue Sanctuary in Chengdu for the poor blind bear made to pose for pictures. If our offer is accepted he will live with our other blind bears, Mityan and Snoopy in our special care area known as the "Secret Garden".

What you can do

We would like to encourage you to write a polite letter voicing your concerns and calling for urgent legislation to protect all animals from cruelty and abuse. Please send your letter to your local China National Tourist Office and your local Chinese Embassy. As always, personal letters are the most effective, or you can copy and paste the sample letter at the end of this page, into an email.

Email the China National Tourist Office (CNTO) in your country

The National Tourist Office will be sensitive to the image that China is projecting overseas to potential tourists. The email addresses of the main China National Tourist Offices around the world can be found at:
www.tourismchina-ca.com/about.html
Please then cllck on the link 17 overseas tourist offices to view all of the email addresses for the main China Tourist offices worldwide.

Email the Chinese Embassy in your country

It is always a good idea to let your opinion be known to the Chinese Embassy in your country, as they tend to be sensitive to public opinion. You can locate the Chinese Embassy address in your country by visiting this website:
www.travelchinaguide.com/
embassy/embassy_list.htm

Sample Letter calling for legislation
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to express my concerns and horror at the recent "Animal Olympics" held at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park. Cruel and archaic events such as these reflect poorly upon modern China and serve only to tar your international image. The use of animals for entertainment is being phased out in many countries as more and more people recognise the suffering and misery of life in captivity for performing animals. In the light of the upcoming 2008 Beijing "Green Olympics", it is truly tragic that facilities such as these are still in existence. I urge you to do all that you can to encourage the Chinese Government to implement comprehensive legislation to protect both wild and domestic animals from all forms of abuse. I look forward to hearing of positive changes in the immediate future.

Yours truly,

Pitiful blind & declawed Moon Bear forced to stand & pose for pictures all day