A REDDITCH woman is spending a night confined in a cage to highlight the plight of wild bears held in captivity and milked to make ‘traditional’ medicine.
Vicky Dugmore from Church Hill is campaigning on behalf of the charity Free The Bears and has set herself a target of raising £300 for the cause.
Free The Bears was registered as a not-for-profit charity in 1995 in Australia after Australian grandmother Mary Hutton watched a television programme which showed a segment containing footage of Asiatic Black Bears held in coffin sized cages with dirty catheters inserted into their gall bladder to ‘milk’ their bile.
Mary learned that thousands of bears were being held in these horrifying conditions throughout Asia, regularly milked for their bile to be used in traditional medicines.
The very next day she started to campaign to free the bears.
By 1995 the charity was set up and in 2010, Free the Bears was registered as a charity in the UK.
“The charity is encouraging its supporters around the world to spend A Night In A Cage to raise funds and awareness of the plight of the many animals still suffering without their freedom,” said Vicky.
“So on Saturday, May 14 when everyone is climbing into their comfy beds I will be climbing into a cage 122 x 74 x 80cm.
“Weather permitting it will be in my garden but if not in my spare room.”
Last year Night in A Cage raised £43,234 with almost 90 people taking part and this year they’re hoping to smash that target.
Bear bile farming is now illegal in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia however it is estimated hundreds of bears remain in captivity while in China it is estimated some 10,000 bears remain in bile farms.
“Bears have been existing in tiny cages in Vietnam now for 17 years with many dying before they have felt soft grass under their paws, inhaled the fresh air, relaxed their aching limbs in a nice pool or eaten good food,” said Vicky
To help Vicky smash her target and help Free The Bears, visit: https://night-in-a-cage-2022.raisely.com/vickymarie .
