We have all heard about the Giant Panda’s declining numbers in the wild and the shrinking of their habitat; China’s proactive conservation efforts in the attempt to address the problem have garnered worldwide attention. Few of us though are familiar with the plight of the Asiatic Black Bears commonly known as ‘Moon bears’. Despite being the well-known mascot animal of the 2018 Winter Paralympics, their fate remains unchanged. With the blessing of the local lawmakers, they are subjected to indescribable atrocities within commercial “bile” farms. The barbaric practice is commonplace in many far eastern countries, namely China and Vietnam.

Prior to the 1980s, Moon bears were hunted for the sole purpose of extracting bile, as it is a commonly used ingredient in Chinese Traditional Medicine. The hunting ban led to a far worse fate for the species, as factory farming permits the harvesting of the precious substance repeatedly from a live animal, but it is far from ideal.

Factory “Bile” Farming

The bile farming process rivals even the most barbaric torture practices known to humanity. It entails removing baby bears from their natural habitat for the purpose of the continual harvesting of the digestive liquid secreted by their liver. An adult specimen produces approximately 2.2 kg of the liquid, in the span of 5 years.

Many of the bears are missing limbs as a result of being trapped in the wild. Catching them involves snares or steel leg hold traps. From the moment of their capture, they are subjected to a treatment no other animal species on earth is forced to endure. Kept in tiny extraction cages or worse, full metal jackets, resulting in complete immobilization. They remain in these horrific contraptions for the entire duration of their lives. The cages are often so small that the inhabitants are unable to stand on all fours or turn. The metal jackets resemble medieval torture devices. Heavy and typically rusting, they restrain movement using sharp spikes and strips of metal.

“Milking” Methods

The confinement is enforced to ensure hassle-free “milking” (the term describes the process of extracting 10-20 ml of bile twice daily).It is done using various methods, requiring surgery performed under no anesthesia or painkillers:

• Repeated drainage through a directly inflicted open puncture wound and permanent implant of a tube inserted into the gallbladder through the abdomen.
• The full-jacket method uses a permanent catheter tube to extract the liquid. It is then collected in a metal box worn by the bear at all times.
• Insertion of steel catheter through the bear’s abdomen, directly into the gallbladder.
• The free drip considered the “most humane” approach of all, involves the creation of a permanent hole or fistula. The bile then drips out unless it leaks back into the abdomen and complications occur.

The Excruciating Effects of Captivity

There are hardly any Moon Bears left in the wild as the reward for delivering one to a farm ranges between $280 to $400. There are over 12,000 bears currently kept in government-licensed facilities.

A staggering number die because of the stress of butcher-style surgeries or the infections that inevitably occur. We regard those as the lucky ones. Those that survive are kept alive with the help of antibiotics, sometimes for up to 25-30 years.

The applications of the liquid are no longer restricted to the production of traditional medicine. Its use has spread to the cosmetics industry. Many shampoos and skincare products currently sport the exclusive ingredient.

The captivity conditions inevitably result in physical injuries, muscle atrophy, bone deformities, and never-ending pain.

The entire team behind MoonBear.Finance takes a firm stance against this deplorable practice. We endorse various initiatives promoting the species’ welfare and this petition is one of them. Sadly, not all governments support the ideology behind the #ReleaseTheMoonBear cause and so we seek your help. We urge you to join us and take immediate action to end the inhumane treatment of these vulnerable animals once and for all. Here is how you can get involved:

• Please sign and share this petition with your entire network
• Avoid the purchase of products containing bear bile
• Influence local legislation
• Raise awareness to the plea of Asiatic Bears
• Donate to a charity that rescues animals from the hellish conditions described above
• Create a Video or Tweet using #ReleaseTheMoonBear and help unleash the power of social media

Let’s work together towards the eradication of bile farming and allow the Moon bears to prosper once more!

References:

• https://www.animalsasia.org/intl/end-bear-bile-farming-2017.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bile_bear
• https://moonbear.finance/ 
• https://www.paralympic.org/news/pyeongchang-2018-paralympic-mascot-launched
• https://www.animalsasia.org/us/media/news/news-archive/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-bear-bile-farming.html