Assisi's Story

In 2008 Auckland SPCA’s Animals Voice magazine launched a campaign to rescue a bear from a Chinese bear bile farm. That bear was to be named Assisi, after St Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals.

In February 2009 Assisi was one of 13 bears that arrived at the Animals Asia Foundation Bear Sanctuary in Chengdu, China. The bears ranged from young to old but all arrived in shocking condition – painfully thin, desperately ill and terrified. They all required urgent veterinary attention and tender loving care.

Assisi was not in good health and it was not sure whether he would survive. A health check was carried out to assess the extent of his injuries and he was assigned his first round of surgeries. Unfortunately, the first attempt had to be abandoned as he responded badly to the anaesthetic. His heart rate and temperature elevated dangerously.

Scans were taken which showed a mass around his heart and windpipe. Extensive investigations were inconclusive. Was it a tumour or was it a swollen aorta? Both would be good reason for euthanasia. He was suspected of having pneumonia. High doses of antibiotics and careful monitoring was all the vet team could do until he became strong enough to undergo a second round of surgery.

Founder of Animals Asia, Jill Robinson, was determined for Assisi to have his day in the sun; to get him out onto grass for the first time in his life, even if it was just for one day. So the vet team put Assisi under again and carried out the surgeries he needed – broken teeth extracted, an infected gall bladder removed and cleaning and repairing the claws that were so long they had grown back into the pads of his paws, making them swollen and infected. And the open wound in his abdomen where the bile had been painfully extracted, was cleaned and closed.

After days of waiting to see whether Assisi had survived his surgery the wonderful news came that he was on the road to recovery.

Assisi was moved into a recovery cage and carefully monitored while he slowly recovered from his surgeries and began the adjustment to a life of love and freedom. His health issues and personality were assessed to ensure that he would be matched up with like-bears in his enclosure. He spent a few weeks familiarising himself with his new den and his new friends.

On the first day of September Assisi took his first steps out of his enclosure… and made it onto the grass… for the first time.
Jill’s words say it beautifully...

Read Jill's Story

However his days of freedom were short lived.

On 15th December 2009 Assisi was playing with his friend Rupert in the sunshine when he suddenly collapsed. Immediately the vet team were called and within minutes began CPR. Sadly it was unsuccessful. Assisi’s aneurysm had ruptured, causing massive internal bleeding and an almost instantaneous death. Assisi did get his day on the grass and to feel the warmth of the sun on his back. He got to enjoy lashings of honey and fresh fruit and vegetables. But best of all he felt freedom and what it is to be loved.