“Who gets the money?” 2005 (pages 13-19) British readers If only the baboon ploy send a gift to helped with elephants bile farm bears C H E N G D U ––An early Christmas JOHANNESBURG, CAPE “The monitors, drawn from the present sent to the Animals Asia Foundation in T O W N ––Baboons are a traditional head- unemployed particularly in Masiphumelele, October 2005 by the readers of the W e s t e r n ache for South African officials, have been successful in keeping baboons Daily Press in Bristol, England, bought the but environment and tourism minister out of the smaller Southern Peninsula vil- December 6, 2005 delivery of a newly liberat- Marthinus van Schalkwyk probably wishes lages of Kommetjie, Scarborough and Da ed bear family of four to the China Bear Rescue elephant issues could as easily be handled. Gama Park,” wrote Melanie Gosling of the Center near Chengdu. Failing to achieve broad-based Cape Times. “As of 6 p.m. today,” Animals Asia agreement in favor of the Kruger “The monitors employ the simple Foundation founder Jill Robinson e-mailed, National Park elephant population at a method of lining up and making any form of “we have four bears settling down in our hospi- series of consultatation meetings in noise, for instance clapping their hands,” tal, munching on a fresh fruit supper and November and December 2005, South explained Bekker. “This discourages the slurping shakes made of condensed milk, African environment and tourism minister baboons from crossing into an urban area. sugar, blueberry jam, apples, and pears. One Marthinus van Schalkwyk scheduled anoth- The monitors also collect important scientif- poor love is blind. Some have cage-bar and Ex-bile farm bear at the original Animals Asia er consultation meeting for early 2006. ic data regarding baboon populations.” stereotypic scarring.” Foundation sanctuary in Pan Yu. (Kim Bartlett) Van Schalkwyk is believed to Observed Gosling, “With Robinson noted that all had wounds In seven years of rescuing bears from favor culling, but only with political cover increasing numbers of houses springing up in their stomachs indicative of having been bile farms whenever officials can be persuaded sufficient to prevent harm to the South in baboons’ traditional foraging grounds, used for bile collection by the “free drip” to permanently close one, the Animals Asia African tourist industry. baboons have turned to stealing food from method, in which shunts are implanted to keep Foundation has taken in 198 bears, with 165 Van Schalkwyk’s Cape Province houses, leaving behind a mess of feces, their gall bladders constantly open. This is the still living at the Chengdu sanctuary, opened in counterpart avoided a similar confrontation spilt food, broken furniture and electrical most common method of collecting bile from October 2000. over baboons when CapeNature acting chief appliances. In retaliation, residents have caged bears now, superseding the older method Western Daily Press senior reporter executive Fanie Bekker appropriated 3.5 taken to shooting and poisoning the ani- of permanent catheterization. Ruth Wood and photo editor Jon Mills in million rand, worth about $530,000 U.S., mals, often maiming them…Many have The bile is used in traditional Chinese September 2005 set out to raise £5,000 to help to hire baboon monitors. been injured or killed by cars.” medicine to relieve pain and fever––and report- the bears with an appeal to readers. The appeal Schemes have even been edly has at least 74 herbal alternatives. actually raised £120,000. advanced to try to control baboons by “They’re angry, stressed, and need As well as rescuing and rehabilitating (continued on page 8) lots of tender loving care,” Robinson said. (continued on page 9) ANIMAL PEOPLE News For People Who Care About Animals

December 2005 Volume XV, #10

Olive baboon. (Kim Bartlett) Will the European Union phase + out