CPWplus Scales:
The Simple Bear Necessities

It's time to weigh the bear cubs at Animals Asia's Vietnam bear sanctuary and Senior Veterinary Surgeon Kirsty Officer turns to her trusty CPWplus scale. Produced by Adam Equipment, the scale is perfect for the job she needs to do - make sure those young bears are thriving and gaining the proper amount of weight.

These aren't just ordinary baby bears. They are very lucky bears, rescued from a bleak future at a bear bile farm, where their bile is harvested and used in traditional medicine in either liquid or powder form to cure ailments ranging from headaches to hemorrhoids and sore eyes to liver problems.

Adult bears are dying slowly from this bile extraction, while cubs too immature to produce adequate quantities of bile are slaughtered for their whole gall bladders and paws. The crude process of bile extraction often leads to dangerous leakage of bile into the body and a slow and agonizing death from peritonitis.

Called moon bears because of the moon-like markings on their chests, the Asiatic black bears are highly sought-after for their bile and are dwindling in number as a result. Across Asia, thousands of bears live a life of torture on bear farms. They are confined in cages for as long as 30 years, causing physical and mental suffering.

"The bears are subjected to cruel, inhumane methods to remove the bile from their gall bladders," said Dr. Jill Robinson, MBE, Animals Asia's founder and CEO. "Our Moon Bear Rescue Centres strive to end bear farming and the bile trade."

According to Dr. Robinson, once the bears arrive at the sanctuary, they are logged in and given an initial check-up by veterinarians to establish any severe medical conditions. They are taken to quarantine, where they are given water and food, which consists of fruit and browse (tender shoots, twigs and leaves of trees and shrubs). The next day, the vet team performs a more in-depth examination, weighs the animals, documents injuries and ailments, prescribes medications and schedules the necessary surgeries. Vets also repair or remove teeth that are broken from years of bar-biting, or deliberately cut back by farmers. Their eyes are checked, and their blood is analyzed. If the bears are injured or need to undergo surgery, they are monitored in recovery cages.

When they are ready, the bears are moved into a bear house with an enclosure, Dr. Robinson said. They are grouped based on age, temperament and available space and are gradually integrated with other bears, learning to be bears again. After the bears become accustomed to their surroundings, they spend their days in grassy enclosures swimming, enjoying their swings, play-wrestling, climbing and munching their daily diet of fruit, vegetables, nuts, honey, dog food and a variety of browse.

The cubs are weighed frequently, as much as daily when they are very small, Dr. Robinson said.

"This ensures proper growth and the daily adjustment of milk formula," she added. When they get a little older, they are weighed three times a week, and eventually reduced to once weekly or monthly. When they are full-grown, they are weighed quarterly to monitor their general health.

So what makes the CPWplus scale perfect for weighing the cubs? The scale is small enough to move around easily, Dr. Officer said. It also accurately reports small changes in weight, crucial when a cub is tiny.

According to Tom Storey, Adam Equipment spokesman, this particular model of the scale is ideal because it can handle a maximum weight of 35 kg., adequate for a growing bear cub. Not only that, it has features designed to help workers deal with weighing wiggling cubs while trying to get an accurate weight.

"The CPWplus has animal weighing with a hold function," Mr. Storey said. "This can be set to lock in the weight on the screen."

Generally, the cubs cooperate at weighing time as long as the treats keep coming, Dr. Officer said with a chuckle.

Founded by Dr. Robinson in 1998, Animals Asia has Moon Bear Rescue Centres near Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China and Tam Dao, Vietnam. Currently, Animals Asia houses more than 200 bears at the sanctuaries. With a worldwide staff of 270, the organization runs programs to reduce animal cruelty in Asia and works toward the conservation of endangered species. The organization works to reduce the demand for bile in Asia by promoting affordable, effective and cruelty-free herbal alternatives for bile in traditional medicine.

Adam Equipment manufactures and distributes a full selection of precision balances and scales for the lab, education, industrial, retail, medical and jewelry markets. The company, founded in 1972, is headquartered in England and has offices in the United States, South Africa, Australia and China. For more information about the company and its products, go to www.adamequipment.com.