Bear Caesar spent the first part of her life in a kind of hell on earth. She lived on a farm in China that harvested ingredients for traditional Chinese medicine.
She was cruelly forced to supply the farm with bile from her gallbladder. Her captors drained her of the fluid 24 hours a day and bound her in a restrictive metal vest. She was confined to a small room where she could barely move.
But just as it appeared her life would never improve, kind-hearted animal advocates came to Caesar’s defense… and changed everything.
Like thousands of other bears in China, Caesar grew up in what could best be likened to hell on earth.
She was forced to live in a small confined space and had what could only be described as a torture west strapped onto her. Like a medieval torture device, the breastplate constricted her body, while a spike aimed at her neck prevented Caesar from attempting to bite or remove the apparatus.
Even worse, Caesar had an open wound on her side. She was forced to supply them bile from her gallbladder, which they used to make traditional Chinese medicine.
“It’s the worst imaginable bile farm torture,” Animals Asia, who saved Caesar, said about the vest.
Caesar suffered immensely in her terrible living conditions, and it’s incredible that she was able to survive. But amidst the darkness, without hope for an end to the torture, everything changed for Caesar in 2004 when she was one of several lucky bears rescued by Animals Asia.
By this time, she was frustrated, miserable, and seriously wounded. But thanks to Animals Asia, she was finally able to break free of the awful vest and get the love and care she needed and deserved.
She’s completely transformed into a strong, majestic bear with a beautiful, radiant coat. Just like the Roman general from whom she took her name, Caesar was a symbol of respect. Weighing in at 300 kg, she possessed a physical strength and stature that made her an extraordinary presence.
“Caesar’s scars have all but disappeared and today she is an astonishingly beautiful (and formidable) bear, ” the organization wrote back in 2016.
After being saved, her favorite activities included swimming and sunbathing, as well as digging — especially when the weather was nice and cool in the fall.
Although Caesar was saved, it’s important to remember how much work still needs to be done to end animal torture.
In China, there are an estimated 10,000 bears locked up. Hopefully, Caesar’s story will serve as a wake-up call so that animal lovers the world over will band together and help put a stop to this.
Eventually, despite her newfound happy and joyful life, the terrible conditions Caesar had endured in the gallbladder farm reemerged in the form of a very aggressive tumor.
Unfortunately, cancer is not uncommon among rescued bears; it results from cellular damage caused by mutilations and infections from repeated gallbladder extractions.
Shortly after the tumor was discovered, Caesar passed away, and Animals Asia lost one of its legendary family members. The heartbreaking reality of her journey serves as a somber reminder of the struggles faced by so many animals like her, leaving a profound void in the hearts of those who cared for her.
No animal deserves to be treated this way. Consider supporting the work that Animals Asia by making a donation. And please share this story to help spread awareness about the plight of Chinese bears.
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