"This is the emblem of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which symbolizes that human beings should tightly safeguard animals. Animals are our friends whose lives effect the whole eco-system, and we should protect and save them with the help of science."

Liu Siming, a volunteer for "Animal Action Week" and also a student from the No. 22 Middle School in Beijing, explained to her classmates the theme of the Week as "Science Saving Animals."

Nearly 2,000 students attended the Week from October 15 to 21 held by the IFAW, which included supporting a petition against the so-called "scientific whaling", joining the "Wildlife Round One Tree Survey" and competing for "Animal Action Awards".

Ge Rui, IFAW's representative in China, said that science is at the center of saving wildlife around the world nowadays. The IFAW has always been dedicated to supporting and funding science in the interests of animal welfare.

In terms of whale protection, the IFAW has contributed to protecting the declining whale population by tracing their underwater activities via a sonar system, Ge added.

Ge also said he hopes that more joint efforts could be made by the public, especially by young people.

According to Ge, "Animal Action Week", an annual event following the "World Animal Day" on every October 4, has been held for nine years. Some 180 schools throughout the country have participated in it for the past three years.

The IFAW is one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the world, with two million participants and 13 branch agencies worldwide.

The IFAW began working in China in 1994 to support the protection work for Asiatic black bears. Since then, the IFAW's China Programs have expanded to cover a wide range of animal welfare and conservation issues.

(People’s Daily October 18, 2001)