Formby mum and son duo to compete in Liverpool half-marathon

A Formby mum and her son are competing in the Liverpool Half-Marathon to raise funds for a charity working to end the brutal bear bile industry in Asia.

Sue Prince and her 25-year-old son Nick will be joined at the starting line by Steve Kelly, also from Formby, who is helping Sue to train for the event.

Sue said: “Nick and I are hoping to raise as much money as we can to help Animals Asia tackle the disgusting trade in bear bile. Currently, the charity is desperately trying to save 23 moon bears in Halong City. On one of three bear farms inspected by the charity, the bear farmer had let 18 of his bears die, many of them having starved to death.

“This particular farm in Halong Bay was inspected by the Animals Asia team in December. They found twenty-seven severely emaciated bears, with many suffering open wounds and missing limbs. Two months on, only nine are still alive. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. There is an open letter on the charity’s website(www.animalsasia.org) asking for Vietnam’s Prime Minister to intervene and allow Animals Asia to rescue the bears and I would urge people to sign this if they can.

“The charity recently reported that the number of bears suffering on Vietnamese bear bile farms has officially fallen below two thousand for the first time, which is good news. It is a clear indication that awareness campaigns against the use of bear bile in traditional Chinese medicine are working, but there are still thousands of bears suffering on farms across Asia. The money we raise will help the charity fund its two - soon to be three – sanctuaries in China and Vietnam and continue its awareness-raising of the horrors of bear farming.”

Anyone wishing to sponsor Sue and Nick can do so via sponsorship forms held by Animal World pet shop in Three Tuns Lane or Select, the stationery shop, on the corner of New Road, Formby or alternatively by visiting Sue’s justgiving page athttp://www.justgiving.com/Sue-Prince2/

The campaign to save the bears has been backed by over 80,000 animal lovers including celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, Dame Judi Dench and Stephen Fry.

Animals Asia is pressing the Vietnamese government to allow it to bring all 23 remaining bears in the Halong City area to its Vietnam bear sanctuary in nearby Tam Dao. Authorities, concerned that the bears are being slaughtered for parts for use in traditional medicine have also ordered that TV cameras cover their burial, as interest in the case contingrows around the globe.

The Liverpool Half-Marathon takes place on Sunday, March 29. For more information on the race visit btrliverpool.com

Story and Photo Source: Southport Visitor