Lawmakers to rule on animal welfare

A revised Chinese law on wildlife protection is expected to regulate the domestication of animals, as some practices have been criticized for being abusive.

The draft law revision includes a new guideline that says domestication activities should be "morally acceptable to the public," Professor Chang Jiwen of the Law Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said. He attended a closed-door discussion on the draft in December.

Although amended in the past, this is the first time substantial changes have been suggested for the 1989 law. The revision is being made by the National People's Congress Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee.

The protection of wild animals kept in captivity on farms and parks is a major highlight of the revision, said Yang Zhaoxia, deputy director of the ecological law research center at Beijing Forestry University.

"The draft stipulates clear standards regarding living conditions, such as space for movement and sanitation," Yang said.

The provisions are seen as a response to mounting pressure over controversial farming methods, such as the extraction of bile from live bears' gallbladders for traditional Chinese medicine.

The issue was highlighted when Guizhentang Pharmaceuticals, a bear bile farming enterprise in southeast China's Fujian Province, tried to file for an initial public offering in 2011 and 2012.

However, both attempts were abandoned because of pressure from the public, animal welfare groups and celebrities, including retired NBA star Yao Ming, who called the practice cruel.

Guizhentang responded by saying that it "milked the bears" by temporarily inserting a fine catheter into their abdomens, and that this method was "painless."

However, animal rights advocates said the bears were left with open wounds that were not given enough time to heal.

Bear bile is believed to be able to reduce fever, remove toxins and treat liver and eye aliments. Other ingredients used in TCM include cow gallstones and deer antlers.

In addition, Chinese circuses and parks continue to train wild animals and keep them in captivity.

In May 2013, a photo showing a child riding a listless Siberian tiger cub at a park in northeast China's Jilin Province triggered online outrage.

The draft would not ban the use of wild animals since they are "important natural resources," Yang said, "but the measures should be reasonable and humane."

Another highlight of the draft is that local governments will be held accountable for the protection of wildlife, Yang said.

He said this change would be crucial since poor policymaking and lax law enforcement both damaged wildlife resources.

In some parts of the country, rare wild animals are being sold and eaten despite a ban.

A rich businessman in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was recently jailed for 13 years for buying and eating three tigers.

The man, identified as Xu, bought tigers on three occasions and watched while they were killed, before sharing the meat with friends.

However, opinions are divided on the definition of "wild animals," Chang said.

"For example," the professor said, "should bears born in captivity on farms be counted as wild animals?"