The Panda Research Centre at Chengdu

In the first two pictures, you can see Red Pandas (also found in India) in their forested enclosure. They are rooting for food and can wander around the large enclosure, among the trees and up and down the structures specially made for them. We spotted about five pandas and all were energetically moving about. The enclosure is full of plants, trees, bushes and grass, all left to grow without pruning or order. It is a small re-creation of the 'wild' for these animals. No cages to be seen! How great is that?!

In the pictures below, you can see the famous Giant Panda, found only in China. These are easily the most adorable animals on earth. The ones in the pictures are young adults. These fat little guys are very active early in the morning and then settle down for the main business of the day, that is, serious eating. They eat only bamboo, the leaves and stalks, almost nothing else. When it gets a bit hot, and stomachs are full, they climb up into a nearby tree and go to sleep. Every position they take, qualifies as cute! That tiny speck you can see in the tree in the first picture, has all his four legs hanging down while he takes a snooze.

This enclosure also reflects the wild but most of the trees have a bamboo surround. These animals are expert climbers and could escape after climbing high up into the trees, so most of the trees are rendered unclimbable. But here again there are plenty of wooden structures to swing on , climb up and generally fool about. Full grown adults spend the hot day sleeping in an AC room. Pandas are found in the high mountain areas where they are quite comfortable rooting about in the snow. Here they have to contend with the heat of the city. Very few of them left in the world. About as many as the precious Indian tiger. Makes one wonder, doesn't it, how the human race can allow such absolutely wonderful animals just go extinct.

The Moon Bear Rescue Centre China

What you are looking at are pictures of bears, rescued from Chinese bear bile farms. This trade is easily one of the most cruel and hideous trades on earth. The founder of Animals Asia and the person who was instrumental in building this truly wonderful rescue centre, is Jill Robinson. Over a decade ago, she came across a bear on one of these farms. These animals are kept in body size cages, unable to move in any direction, or even sit or stand up. They are then'milked" through a metal tube which simply pierces their abdomen, for their bile, used in traditional Chinese medicine. Some of them have been kept like this for 30 years, without any succour or release.

Jill went into action and started rescuing these bears. She and her team have rescued hundreds, brought them to the Centre, tried their best to bring them back to some semblance of normal life. Some of the bears are too badly injured to survive, many have cancers, bad teeth and on and on and on. At the rescue Centre, all they get is love, the best treatment possible and a chance at a normal bear's simple happy and comfortable life.

The surroundings are so beautiful and every aspect is calculated to enrich the lives of these sad and broken creatures. The result is, many of them have started enjoying themselves. We watched two of them wrestling. Two plump giants having a whale of a time. Some of these bears are 7 feet tall. It takes most of the bears about one year to come out of the shock and trauma of what they have been through. Then the healing can really start.

There are 10,000 bears at present in China being milked for their bile. Jill is making continuous efforts involving Chinese Govt officials to try and stop this torture of these precious animals.
We were left in awe of all the efforts she had made and the wonderful successes she has enjoyed uptill now working tirelessly to rescue as many bears as she can from these wretched so-called farms.

The Asia For Animals Conference in China

Two of us from the Managing Committee of IDA were able to attend this important Conference which was held in Chengdu, China. We went with a lot of misgivings as there is a lot of knowledge about the pathetic state of many animals in China. But actually going there and meeting some wonderful people, Chinese included, belonging to various animal welfare NGOs made it a simply great experience.
Dogs in China are many times in great danger of being culled or even eaten. Asia for Animals working in China is changing this. All the members work towards making the Chinese public perceive dogs as intelligent, highly beneficial animals. They have created the concept of "Dr.Dog". These specially trained dogs, visit hospitals and have proved to be of absolute value to most of the patients of all ages. This is in China!
We met four of them in the conference hall itself; the most beautiful, healthy happy dogs anyone could come across. They were all overjoyed to meet all of us!
Rescued dogs are used for this purpose and at present there are 250 Dr. Dogs in many cities across China. May their tribe increase!

Our Latest Addition

Ginger is a marvelous little chap. He's safe in a foster home until he gets adopted and is showing every sign of his high intelligence.

His small world revolves around that milk bottle - every four hours. He drinks with the gusto of a baby buffaloe! In between he naps or plays with his make believe siblings - rolled up socks. He doesn't howl and cry at all when he is awake, but sits quietly, absolutely alert. Any small movement makes him raise his head to check out if anything interesting is happening. He is allowed out to run about and play in an open area about three times a day for about twenty minutes. This makes him nice and exhausted and then he goes into a sound sleep.

But he's good because he is kept partially confined and is fine with that. He is about one and a half months old and has a tail that is about half an inch long. He enjoys excellent health and is now in the process of getting ready to be adopted. Way to go, Ginger!

Our Pixie's Gone

It happened during the hottest time in May. Our little Pixie suddenly fell ill. She was rushed into a foster home, where she could be cool, quiet and comfortable and every effort was made to help her recover. She was just too old and delicate to make that recovery and within three days she quietly passed away with her friends around her.

This little dog has always been the heart of the Centre. She was so appealing, that she was a bit spoiled by everyone in the most comfortable room in Deonar, the office. Mostly Pixie used to sit on her chair, no sleeping on the ground for her!
She had a sweet little smile which she used to good effect whenever she was greeted or spoken to.

She was adventurous too, although she didn't look it. A long time ago, Pixie escaped from the Centre. She wiggled out from under the front gate when no one was looking. Everyone was so upset. Tears were shed, prayers were said, but we didn't dare to hope. Pixie was too small and frail to survive on the mean streets.

But that is exactly what she did! Two weeks later, one of our Assistants, travelling in a rickshaw, spotted Pixie sitting on a pavement about 7 kilometres away from the Centre. Her coat had become black with dust but when she came back we found the adventure had done her good. From a little weakling with mange on her ears and a pronounced limp, Pixie had come back bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!! Her immune system must have gone into overdrive the minute she escaped!

She was special to the end. A few hours before she died, as she was greeted by a well-wisher, Pixie managed to stand up and wag her tail. After that she lay down, and a little while later, left this earth quietly and peacefully. This wonderful little dog has a special place in all our hearts and we will always remember, love and miss her.

Crisil Staff Visit on 22nd May

It was a memorable Sunday, enjoyed by all of us at the Deonar Centre, animals included! The staff from Crisil Powai, had obtained a substantial grant for IDA India and had come to celebrate and work at the Centre on this day. Check out the group photo with all representatives present. All the wonderful goodies on the table, the plants seen in the foreground, the basins, the planters, were all purchased and generously donated for the good of all the animals at Deonar. Our pups got plenty of lovely toys as well.

Lots of hard work was done in the garden which is fast becoming a pleasant retreat for volunteers and dogs alike. Tiles were laid out to make a pretty path and you can see the youngest visitor trying one out. She is only two years old but enjoyed herself thoroughly. Her wonderful parents have seen to it that she loves animals already!
On the bench, three young volunteers are holding a group of lovely pups that had been dumped on the road in a cardboard box. One of them is on the ground, checking out the planting.

It was a really satisfying and happy day for all those present. Thanks to the care and generosity of these young people, who took time to visit and put in some hard labour as well, our animals will enjoy the benefits of this for quite some time to come.
Spending a good five hours at our Centre, these youngsters realised that strays and abandoned animals are innocent creatures who appreciate a safe and happy life and deserve our care and protection always.

IDA Centre Opens in Turbhe

It was towards to the end of the monsoon last year, that the IDA Vashi Centre was forced to close down. The building had developed cracks in walls and roof and was in danger of coming down. For nine long months, there has been very little activity re ABC operations and so on as no other Centre was available for use. 15th of May was a happy day for IDA as a temporary new Centre was made available for operations.

The inauguration took place on that day and operations started in right earnest on the 18th of May, you can see the very first operation taking place, in the picture above. Lots of catching up to do as until that day, the only IDA work that could be carried out was by means of its mobile van, plying around Navi Mumbai and attending to cases in different localities. The location of the Centre leaves much to be desired as it is in a highly polluted area, over an existing dump, and great care has to be taken to sanitize conditions for the animals to be treated. Anyway, it is a welcome re-start to all the hard work that went on for years at our small Vashi Centre.