The image above is of muscian, composer and progressive rock titan Rick Wakeman, in his own enclosure playing solo piano in a unique concert of his own music - to just the moon bears who now live in their own enclusures and spaces in half wild landscapes of Vietnam.
They are bears who for years endured being milked for their bile in 'traditional' chinese or vietnamese medicine, where their survival depended on their suffering in small cages. For the last quarter century they have had humans campaigning against those who kept them captive, to set them free from the barbarities of 'tradditional medecine' with the assistance of Chinese state authorities. Mostly the campaigners have won. They estimate that they are seeking to rescue the last 150 bears 'still kept as pets' under Vietnamese law, where the campaigners don't know what conditions the bears endure, with the trade in traditional medicine now illagal as of five years. Whatever it's proven efficacy, the equivalent of bear bile can be created artificially, which some sort of win - win for science and for the animals.
The bears enjoyed the concert. Rick recognised this with how close they drew to the source of the sound, particularly when he played the most melodic parts of his compositions. Check out Animals Asia on facebook and in other places online for the progress being made to free bears who are presently still in private captivity, and the progress of the different charities concerned towards having more bears live the remainder of their lives more freely than they have ever lived before.
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