42 3 SLIP The Mail on Sunday June 8 • 2014 June 8 • 2014 The Mail on Sunday 3 43 A shocking exposé by Downton’s Mrs Patmore into cruel ‘farms’ that cage bears and remove their bile... for medicines sold in UK

TORTURE: Lesley Nicol with one of the moon bears she has helped to free SPECIAL REPORT from the bile farm in Nanning, China

From Simon Parry triumph for Jill Robinson MBE, the IN NANNING, CHINA British founder of Animals Asia who has been campaigning for 15 years RS Patmore’s flus- for an end to bear bile farming. She tered features crumple hopes the example set will help into tears as she watches How CAN Chinese ­persuade the Chinese government vets and nurses tend to to end the brutal trade. a sick animal on the ‘This industry is completely grimy floor of a Chinese distasteful to the Chinese public farm where, for years, now,’ she says. ‘People in China are M bears have been imprisoned in tiny asking: “Why do this to a bear when cages and milked for their bile. there are effective medical alterna- ‘This bear has had a terrible, tives?” There have been TV pro- terrible life,’ says Lesley Nicol. ‘All grammes about it and investigations she has known is appalling betrayal in the Chinese media. There is from mankind, and it has all been ­massive movement here now. for money – there is absolutely no farmers torture ‘We have turned our whole strat- point to it. Why she’s not screaming egy around by saying: “We are back- and raging at us, I don’t know. I feel ing the Chinese public now against totally ashamed.’ bear bile farming.” Everything Some 6,000 miles from the refined has come full circle. It’s their pro- manners of Downton Abbey, the gramme. Someone said to me: “You indignation of the actress who plays can step back – it’s our fight now.” kindly cook Mrs Patmore is easy to ‘I thought that was a terrific thing see. On a week’s break from filming to say. It’s absolutely true. It is their the fifth series of the hit ITV drama, country and they are their bears.’ Lesley has travelled to the jagged Jill, whose tireless crusade has limestone mountains near the China- won the support of celebrities such Vietnam border with The Mail on these poor bears... as Dame Judi Dench, Ricky Gervais Sunday to see a British-run charity’s and Olivia Newton-John, is con- mission to stop the bear bile trade. vinced that converting farms to In a makeshift field animal hos­ sanctuaries is the solution. pital, an hour’s drive from the city ‘It is a win-win scenario for the of Nanning, she is helping vets from bears, the farmers and the reputa- charity Animals Asia carry out tion of the country,’ she says. ‘Bear health checks on a group of bears bile farming is now seen as hideous who have been subjected to excru­ within the country and in the inter- ciatingly painful bile extraction. national community. Over 10,000 Asiatic black bears – ‘If they continue with this, people an endangered species known as to line the pockets will start looking at China and say, ‘moon bears’ for the cream-coloured “They do care about animals.” Peo- crescents on their chests – are con- ple are too willing to write China off fined in cages from birth, often too as a country that doesn’t care for small for them even to turn around, animals and we know so differently. in farms across China and other We know that statement is wrong.’ southeast Asian countries. Lesley’s visit last week was a huge Some are blind or have had their lift to the spirits of the charity’s team, teeth and claws hacked out, while of quack doctors? ‘People in China hate ‘Their plight gets into your heart. It’s for ever’ this vile trade too’ she adds. ‘You can tell Lesley abso- many are psychologically scarred lutely and purely loves the bears,’ by their captivity. Others with By Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol she says. ‘Lesley has dived headfirst

terminal growths and cancers will MICHAEL CHINATHOMAS NEWS / QUIRKY / REX into this. She Skypes us when she’s see their struggle for survival end on the set of Downton Abbey. with a merciful lethal injection. ‘She’s not just an actress who’s Crude catheters are jabbed into the doing us a favour – she’s become our bears’ abdomens to extract their bile Caged and cut friend. She has made us laugh, and from their gall bladders. It sells for she is thoughtful and kind. She has around £10 a millilitre and is used given up a whole week to come here in traditional Chinese medicine to and broken her heart doing it. treat everything from haemorrhoids open for bile ‘Lesley has spent the whole time and sore throats to hangovers. crying around Chengdu and Nan- Shockingly, many of these so- ning for different reasons, so her called ‘cures’ end up in Britain, in their belly emotions must be a total roller- which has one of the world’s highest coaster. I am absolutely beyond seizure rates of illicit bear bile Extracting bile – a digestive admiration for her.’ products. The Metropolitan Police’s juice produced by the liver and Downton Abbey looks likely to play Wildlife Crime Unit says it has stored in the gall bladder – is deeply a leading role in the moon bears’ seized more than 30,000 endangered painful and invasive. To enable lives. Michelle Dockerty who plays species products on sale in London, farmers to carry out the technique Lady Mary Crawley and Phyllis including shampoo and a pile cream without being attacked, the bears Logan (Mrs Hughes) are among a containing bear bile. are kept in ‘crush cages’ so small line-up scheduled to perform comic Even though effective herbal they can hardly move. Each is then skits at a fundraising gala for Ani- alternatives to bear bile are widely ‘milked’ with a catheter inserted into mals Asia in London on June 19. available, a report by the wildlife its gall bladder – bile is extracted Lesley says: ‘Michelle has rewrit- trade monitoring network TRAFFIC twice a day, with the same wound ten a song and it is hilarious – it will found there were more seizures APPEAL: The being reopened again and again. have people in stitches. Mrs Hughes of bear bile products in Britain cast of Downton To combat infection, the bears are CRUEL TRADE: Pickle Nicol, far left, the bear Lesley and I are doing a song by Bernard from 2000 to 2010 than in any other Abbey in the video fed high doses of antibiotics. adopted. Left: Farm-workers extract a bear’s bile. Bile Cribbins called the Gossip Calypso.’ country outside of Asia. calling for an end However, disease can still be found products sell for £10 a millilitre and include capsules, In the video appeal recorded by Bear bile contains high levels of to the practice in some bile products for sale. above, shampoos, facepacks, toothpaste and tea cast members, Raquel Cassidy says ursodeoxycholic acid, a substance the project in Nanning ‘has the that helps animals avoid problems power to inspire China, its people, with gall stones during hibernation. nese headquarters last year and is (Anna Smith), Rob James-Collier Baxter [Lady Grantham’s maid], Lesley was introduced to the charity many years now had the confidence cally slapped her paw against her tised for her health check. ‘Her teeth Yan, the first bear bile farmer in its government and even the bear For devotees of traditional Chinese now championing its £3 million fund- (Thomas Barrow) and Sophie asked wardrobe to make a banner by fellow Downton Abbey actor to let you go up close and give them thigh in appreciation. ‘I felt an have been cut. There a lot of dental China to agree to convert his farm bile farmers to end this cruel indus- medicine, it is taken in a variety of raising effort to save around 130 McShera (Daisy) filmed a video to which says “We love bears” which Peter Egan, who appeared in the something to eat,’ she says. ‘They instant surge of love for her,’ the work to do. And she’s got nasty scar to a sanctuary, says that he was per- try once and for all’. forms – in teas, tonics and wines, as bears at the Nanning farm from promote the Nanning project before everyone holds up in the video.’ 2012 Christmas special. are so stoic and so forgiving after actress said afterwards. ‘This has tissue where they extracted bile suaded by his young daughter, an The character whose face is front- well as in tablet form, face packs, wretched deaths behind bars. Lesley flew to China. In the summer heat of southern ‘Peter told me that once you’ve everything they have been through.’ been the experience of a lifetime from her,’ says Lesley. ‘Her paws animal lover. ‘I realised the process ing the appeal would surely agree. toothpaste and shampoo. The actress cajoled her fellow cast They recorded their heartfelt China last week, the rescue began seen them, they get into your heart Like Peter, Lesley was hooked. for me and one of the most extra­ are very dry and sore because she’s of extracting bile from bears is very ‘Mrs Patmore has a big heart,’ said But now, in a major assault on the members into making the appeal appeal in costume in the servants’ in earnest as the farm’s bears – and it’s a lifelong thing. It’s for ever,’ When she first met her adopted bear ordinary things I’ve ever done. never been on soft grass. She’s been cruel and it hurts the bears’ health Lesley. ‘She wouldn’t put up with global trade, Animals Asia has per- Downton Abbey’s pet charity – hall on the Downton Abbey set. ‘It including the bear she has person- Lesley said. Last year, the actress last Sunday, her words to Pickle ‘When you do pretend for a living on bars all her life. But I can imag- very much,’ he said. this. She wouldn’t stand for it. suaded a bear bile farm near Nan- something that could have a huge was beautiful – really beautiful,’ ally adopted, named Pickle Nicol flew out to Animals Asia’s Chengdu could have come from Mrs Patmore it’s very important to see something ine her in her own enclosure getting ‘At first, I thought about selling the Neglect isn’t right. Torture isn’t ning to renounce the trade and impact in China where the Edward- says Lesley. ‘They all waited until after Lesley’s childhood nickname HQ, an hour’s flight north of Nan- herself. ‘Hello sweet pea,’ she cooed. real and it doesn’t get any more real bigger and stronger.’ bears to another farm but I realised right. It has to end.’ become a sanctuary where bears ian drama, dubbed into Mandarin, their lunch hours and did their little – were anaesthetised and examined ning, where 140 bears rescued from ‘How are you, my little poppet?’ than this. I’m so knocked out by One of the most poignant moments they would just be tortured some- can live out their remaining lives in has an audience of 160 million. pieces to camera. They did it with by a veterinary team. Some of the bile farms are living out their lives in Later, as she hosed the eight-year- what’s happening here and this just of Lesley’s visit was when she met where else if I did. This way, our sick l For more details about Animals peaceful green enclosures. Stars including Jim Carter who great generosity. sicker animals will be transferred a purpose-built 32-acre sanctuary. old bear down with water to cool needs every ounce of support the bear farm’s owner Yan Shao bears will have a brighter future. I Asia’s appeal and to watch the Lesley fell for the moon bears plays butler Mr Carson, Brendan ‘What is even lovelier is that to an existing sanctuary set up by ‘The thing that blew me away last her in the sweltering heat, Lesley from anyone who can give it.’ Hong, thanking him warmly for his hope it’ll set a good example.’ Downton Abbey cast video, go to when she visited the charity’s Chi- Coyle (John Bates), Joanne Froggatt Raquel Cassidy, who plays Miss Animals Asia in Chengdu in 2000. year was that bears abused for so was delighted when Pickle comi- On Monday, Pickle was anaesthe- decision to abandon the trade. Mr Mr Yan’s unlikely conversion is a peacebypiece.animalsasia.org.