Rick Wakeman wrote piano music for a group of rescued bears in Vietnam in the hope that animals still caged in bile farms will be freed.
The former Yes keyboardist can be seen performing near a fence at the Animals Asia sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park, with bears on the other side appearing to enjoy his melodic compositions.
Wakeman has a long history of campaigning for animals, and has a number of rescued cats and dogs at home.
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“Before you ask, I won’t be playing ‘The Teddy Bears’ Picnic,’” he joked with the Guardian before his performance. Asked if he thought the animals would appreciate his work, he replied: “They’ve not got much choice, really!”
He continued: “It’s a well-known fact that all animals react to music, especially gentle melodic music. So what I’m going to do is piano music that is melodic. I can only hope that they’ll come up to the perimeter of the sanctuary and have a listen.”
Bile from bears’ stomachs has traditionally been used in Vietnamese medicine. As a result many animals have been kept in cages that limit their movement so their bile can be removed by syringe.
Rick Wakeman Plays Piano for Rescued Bears
“[S]ome have never put their feet on grass before,” Wakeman said. “[T]hat we can do such horrendous things to animals is beyond belief. Before this they were chained in cages sometimes for 10 or 20 years, in conditions where they couldn’t even turn around.”
He continued: “We have 150 bears at the sanctuary, but there are 125 bears left in cages in the old bear bile farms, and there are four dying a month. We have to get them out quick and into the sanctuary.”
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Wakeman – who said he’d enjoyed his visit with one of the sanctuary bears he recently adopted – reported that he’s played music to his pets for years: “I had one cat who used to jump on the grand piano, and if I stopped playing he’d put his paw in the strings and rattle them until I played again.
“I know if my dogs don’t like it, they’ll get up and walk out, and my cats don’t like metal, grunge or rap. They want a melody.”
Animals Asia founder Dr Jill Robinson said: “We’re beyond blessed to have Rick’s support for Animals Asia and the bears. His love for them is immeasurable, and can be heard in the beautifully haunting music he’s written for them.”
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Gallery Credit: Ryan Reed
