The nine-year-old female panda, Mao Mao, was found crushed under the walls of her enclosure. She was the mother of five panda cubs. Her keeper, He Changgui, laid two apples and some panda bread on her grave. He said, “It’s like you could say something and she would understand. If you were happy, she was happy too.”

Then added, “I will go back to see her everyday.”

Please donate to the rescue fund for the pandas and their incredibly dedicated keepers. You can donate to Pandas International, who’ve been delivering supplies since the week after the quake, or to any of the U.S. zoos who have giant pandas and have started relief funds:
The National Zoo’s Panda Relief Fund

San Diego Zoo’s Wolong Panda Earthquake Relief Fund

ZooAtlanta’s China Relief Fund

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It’s now almost three weeks since the devastating earthquake hit Sichuan in China and the full horror of the tragedy is really hitting home. As many as 90,000 people could have died in the quake and its aftershocks, which are still causing panic throughout the province. More than 365,000 people are injured, many of them also losing their homes and livelihoods.

Animals Asia is extremely fortunate and grateful that no staff or animals at our Moon Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu were hurt, but we too are facing a difficult time. We are in urgent need of donations to deal with two emergencies arising from the earthquake. First we are racing against time to rescue dogs and cats from a town in northern Sichuan, where the authorities have ordered a cull of all companion animals; and second, we need to rebuild four of the buildings at our sanctuary.

Four of our main buildings, including the big office and accommodation blocks have been so badly damaged that they will need to be completely rebuilt at a cost of hundreds of thousands of US dollars. A fifth building needs repairs. Initially, on-site staff (who launched an immediate donations drive among themselves for earthquake victims) were sleeping on the floors of the quarantine area for new bear arrivals, but are now crammed into the remaining buildings that have been deemed safe.

But rebuilding will come later. Right now, there are more urgent needs. Rescuing already traumatised family dogs and cats from being shot or beaten to death in the city of Dujiangyiang – one of the worst-hit areas is our highest priority. The authorities there have ordered a cull of all dogs and cats, even if they have owners, adding to the misery of survivors who are clinging to their pets for comfort.

We have set up a hotline and a receiving station at a local vet clinic for earthquake victims to surrender their dogs to us for safe-keeping until they are back on their feet and can take them back. Many people, terrified that their much-loved dogs would be killed in front of them have been hiding them in the ruins of their homes and risking their lives to go and feed them.

We have promised those who have handed us their pets that we will make sure they are well cared for. If, after six months, they are still unable to take their pets back, we will continue to look after them until they can be reunited. If they decide they can’t take their pets back, we will try to re-home the animals.

So far, we have rescued around 100 dogs and brought them to Chengdu’s Qi Ming Pet Rescue Centre, which can take about 100 more. We have also rescued some cats and a few starving dogs that have been found wandering around looking for food. We are giving each a health check and vaccination and will build a quarantine facility for the dogs at the shelter and provide them with food. All this too, of course, will cost money – and we’re not sure how long we’ll have to provide for these dogs.

I am the first person to question where donations are going in a crisis situation and I can assure you that any donation you make to our earthquake appeal will go directly to our work rescuing dogs and cats from the earthquake zone, vaccinating against rabies, building quarantine kennels at the Qi Ming shelter and supplying other local shelters with food and medical help. Being here on the ground, I will ensure your donation goes first to distraught dogs and cats. Any funds left over will go to rebuilding our bear sanctuary.

Given the enormity of the Sichuan tragedy, this is a difficult time for us to raise funds, as donors are understandably channeling their donations to the human victims of the earthquake. So please, if you are considering donating to the earthquake relief effort, remember that animals are victims too – and by giving to us, you may be helping to save the only family member a survivor has left.

Warm wishes,

Jill

Jill Robinson MBE
Founder and CEO
Animals Asia Foundation

PS: Don’t forget to check my blog for regular updates on how we’re helping earthquake survivors – both animals and people.

s.

Here’s the update:

Wolong Says “Thank You!”

We finally received pictures showing the arrival of medical supplies to Wolong. Last night, via satellite phone, Pandas International received a very grateful thank you from Wolong to each of you who gave to help save lives and keep the people of Wolong healthy. And they wanted you to know the pandas are doing well also.

Within a couple of days after the quake, the panda reserve administration communicated they were in dire need of medical items for the approximately 5000 people in the high mountain area just 30 km (about 18 miles) from the epicenter. Suppliers in the surrounding quake region were overwhelmed, so Pandas International purchased nearly three tons of items elsewhere in China. With transportation provided by the Red Cross they arrived in Chengdu. Wolong may have paid some minor government fees required for all trucking when accepting delivery (perhaps like road tolls in Western countries) but all other efforts and all items were donations.

From Chengdu, truck drivers began an extremely hazardous 16 hour long trek switching back and forth on seldom used dirt roads, often with sheer drops to the narrow valleys below. Aftershocks have been occurring daily and the alternate routes were made even more difficult by snow, rock slides, and nightfall. We may never know the drivers who accepted the challenge, but we have the pictures to show they were successful. And we all thank them!

Now, we’ve received a second list of necessities for Wolong and the pandas. As you’ve seen in the news reports, China is trying to provide at least 70,000 more tents to the quake area. Wolong is an area in desperate need of tents (in one picture, notice the tent city between the trucks and the administration building). They are also short on food and have requested dried food items. Again, we are attempting to order and send the requested quantity from within China. Additionally, we are learning that equipment used for the pandas has been damaged and we’re working to re-supply those items. Cubs are expected to start arriving next month and we will assist the vets with those needs immediately.

Communications are still intermittent, the weather has been cold and wet, travel in and out of Wolong is quite hazardous and circuitous, earthquakes and landslides continue. And both the people and pandas have been hungry. Your generosity is providing direct help to Wolong. The Chinese government and the Red Cross have been valuable partners in our efforts. Please let your friends know that Pandas International is definitely creating a positive change for an endangered species AND for the local Chinese people who work to maintain the pandas and their habitat.

Unless necessary, we will be providing weekly updates each Friday.

To make a tax-deductible contribution to support supplies for Wolong’s Giant Panda Research Center, please send checks payable to Pandas International at P.O. Box 620335, Littleton, Colorado 80162, or view daily updates and donate online at www.pandasinternational.org.

Also, the San Diego Zoo panda blog reports that Hua Mei and others have been moved to the panda reserve at Bifengxia, where Mei Sheng also lives.

Please, if you can spare anything, or if you have stimulus money with no plans, donate to Pandas International to help the people of Wolong preserve this important endangered species. The Chinese love their pandas, as should be evident by now.

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Thankfully, she and her staff have worked hard over the years to establish a working relationship with the Chinese government and local officials, so they were permitted to rescue 49 dogs, two cats and one kitten. These included a pair of much-loved Pomeranians whose owners couldn’t care for them any longer. I can’t imagine giving up Mina that way; the thought makes me cry. These people have lost everything and now they have to give up their companions.

Please read Jill’s post and please follow the link at the bottom to donate to the Earthquake Relief Fund. The Chinese government is doing a good job caring for the human animals, but the non-human animals are suffering and need care and treatment. Please help.

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There is no regulated rabies vaccination program in China. One of Animals Asia Foundation’s many missions is to educate the Chinese people on proper care of their companion animals (vaccinations, they’re not food, etc.) through their Friends … or Food?, Professor Paws, and Doctor Dog programs. Now, Jill announces on her blog that AAF has obtained “official authorization today for us to go into Dujiangyiang, collect dogs and cats that need help and place a notice on the government bulletin boards and surrounding areas alerting the public that we can help with companion animals wherever required.

“Christie and Rainbow have been working hard all week to secure free food and vaccinations and have been talking with the authorities in allowing us to work officially in Dujiangyiang. We have now secured 500 vaccinations from Intervet for dogs in the disaster area and are going prepared to meet local vets there to coordinate a rescue programme, which will be highly sensitive to the needs of people and authorities alike. Also, Purina has kindly sponsored more than 200 kg of dog food.”

AAF will take in any dogs and cats that do not have human families and care for them the rest of their lives. They’ll need help for all this work and you can donate to the rescue on the AAF Web site. We still do not know what’s become of the captive bears at the bear bile farms in Sichuan. I’m certain that AAF is trying to get that information and will post about it soon.

The Humane Society International is supporting non-human animals left homeless by the quakes through grants. “It has been reported that officials in Qingchuan have decided to round up and kill homeless dogs, fearing that these hungry animals could be aggressive toward humans and cause an outbreak of rabies. Reactions from Chinese dog lovers are already strong; comments posted on the Internet call for mercy for the dogs and ask for a different solution to be found. HSI is offering assistance in using humane and effective methods of controlling the canine population rather than culling the animals.

Meanwhile, little is known about the quake’s impact on the thousands of pig farms and water fowl farms in the area.”

HSI is giving two grants, “One will go to the US China Environmental Foundation, with which we’ve partnered in the past, to support the famous Wolong Panda Research Institute—located just 20 miles from the quake’s epicenter. The other grant will go to the Chinese Embassy in Washington as a gesture of HSI’s concern and goodwill during this difficult time. HSI is also offering the government assistance in humanely managing dog populations in the affected area.”

Please donate to either organization to help them rescue non-human animals who are suffering as much as the human animals from the earthquakes.

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There are captive pandas missing after the earthquake, but so far they haven’t been identified. There are also Wolong Nature Reserve staff members missing. Mr. Swaisgood has details not available in news accounts, so it’s a worthwhile read.

Here’s the PI update:

Denver, CO May 19, 2008 Pandas International has been following all the media reports about the Wolong Panda Reserve and Wolong Town. We appreciate items that you have sent from around the world and we have worked the past two days on some of the details contained in those reports.

During a disaster of this magnitude, conflicting information and lack of confirmed
data appears in the press reports. Various official agencies can receive differing reports.
Individual stories may not reflect “the rest of the story”— what has happened to other individuals in the same area or what occurs after a personal experience.

In order to maintain the trust and respect of both our members, and the people and authorities we work with in China, we want to provide accurate information. We are awaiting more official information on the injuries and deaths among the staff and the details on the missing and injured pandas. We do know that the cubs are in Wolong Town and being fed the special Esbilac formula Pandas International purchases and sends from the United States. The Reserve received the 9 month supply of the Esbilac milk formula only weeks before the quake. Your previous donations are helping to keep the cubs alive and content.

Much of the information you are currently reading is from the first days of the disaster. With major aftershocks and landslides occurring daily in the region and relief and medical supplies being delivered by the Chinese Army, there will be continuing details for a long time.

Pandas International respects the 3 day mourning period declared by the Chinese government to honor their dead, provide a period of reflection, and restore some calm to decision-making and reporting.

Over the next few days, Pandas International will be presenting photos directly from China through the special provision and permission of the government owned, Xinhua News Agency. Xinhua has just provided, to Pandas International, hundreds of pictures showing what happened at the epicenter. Although some will be graphic and inappropriate for younger viewers, we decided the sincere concern and dedicated devotion of our supporters deserved this one time and limited opportunity.

It is an honor for us at Pandas International to assist China, the Chinese people, and their pandas.

Suzanne Braden
Karen Rose
Sherry Lummis
For the Board of Pandas International

Please donate to help the pandas and the brave people who care for them.

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