Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said that even when shut down, owners often transfer their licenses, or simply operate illegally.
Her organization has not taken any bears at its own rescue center in southern Guangdong Province for years, she said, calling it a “bottomless pit.”
Instead, it is pushing for anti-cruelty legislation. China has a wildlife protection law widely viewed as inadequate, but no other animal protection laws, she said.
“That’s the crux of the situation [in China]. Animals are viewed only as a resource to be exploited,” she said.
Yet Robinson is buoyed by what she calls a slowly growing animal welfare awareness in China, and the 10-hectare Sichuan center continues to take in bears.
They shuffle around in varying states of disablement, including “Franzi,” who spent about 25 years in a “crush cage,” which allows owners to pin bears flat to facilitate bile extraction.
Her head is now too large for her body, a result of stunted bodily growth.
“She was a complete mess,” Robinson said while hand-feeding Franzi raisins.
But the formerly anti-social Franzi has changed since the center introduced her to Rupert, a brain-damaged bear who has become her “boyfriend” and has taught her how to play again, Robinson said.
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