Ian Somerhalder, Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz join Campaign To Free Bears
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Let a Bear Sh!t in the Woods!
It's the light-hearted punch line to any overtly obvious question and yet - the honest answer to "does a bear sh*t in the woods" could just as easily be "no".
The well-worn joke has now become a demand for Animals Asia backed by celebrity supporters and thousands of animal lovers worldwide - it really is time for bears to "go" where nature intended. As their campaign says:
"Let a bear sh!t in the woods"
Animals Asia are campaigning for an end to bear bile farming and have been joined in their latest campaign by celebrities pledging their support and they want millions more to pledge via
The campaign has already been endorsed by Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder plus Twilight stars Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz.
They are also joined by actors Kristin Bauer van Straten and Alicia Silverstone, musicians Matt Sorum and Peter Northcote, entrepreneur Russell Simmons, chef Simon Bryant and comedians Meshel Laurie and Ben Elton.
In China 10,000 bears in tiny cages face excruciating daily bile extractions with the bile used for traditional medicines. There are a further 2,400 bears in bile farms in Vietnam.
Most are Asiatic black bears - better known as moon bears - with many taken from the wild and kept on farms for up to 30 years.
Animals Asia has rescued over 500 bears in China and Vietnam and runs sanctuaries in both countries.
Animals Asia also recently took over a bear bile farm in Nanning, China, which it will turn into a sanctuary - demonstrating how farms can have cruelty free futures.
Speaking on behalf of his foundation, Ian Somerhalder said:
"We at the IS Foundation believe we share an interconnected and universally tethered heartbeat with every different vessel of life inhabiting the planet alongside us. Whether roaring with pride, purring at our ankles, slithering through the wild, or swimming in our seas, we carry the utmost respect for all creatures.
The practice of bear bile farming is inexcusable, unnecessary and inhumane.
I am so proud of the Animals Asia campaign, 'Let a bear sh!t in the woods' for tackling this compassionless practice head on and demonstrating the positive transformation made when a bear bile farm became a sanctuary for these suffering creatures."