Moon bears are named after the yellow crescent of fur on their chests. They are 1.2 to 1.8 metres tall, with a thick, shaggy coat and big, round ears. They are solitary animals that can be found across Asia, from Pakistan to Japan. On the mainland, hundreds of moon bears - or Asiatic black bears - live in agony on bile farms. They are kept in a small cage for as long as 25 years for bile extraction.
Bear bile is used in traditional Chinese medicine and is regarded as a cure for many illnesses, including liver and blood disease, digestive problems and cancer. It is even used in anti-wrinkle products. But critics say there are many herbal alternatives that can provide the same effects, if bear bile does what it claims at all.
'No one is going to die for the lack of bear bile. It is not a compulsory component in Chinese medicine. There are 64 herbal alternatives that can provide the same functions. Even if bile is proved to be effective, how the bears are treated is cruel and not in harmony with nature,' says Jill Robinson, founder of Hong Kong-based charity, Animals Asia.
Robinson launched the charity in 1998 after she saw a caged bear while visiting the mainland. 'She was in great pain and I knew she would die,' says Robinson. 'It was one of those moments in life that you will never forget, and which changes the course of your life.'
Since then, she has dedicated herself to rescuing bears from bile farms by raising awareness about the issue, and working with mainland doctors and authorities.
Under the foundation's campaign Moon Bear Rescue, 352 animals have been freed from farms on the mainland and in Vietnam. In addition, 43 mainland farms have been closed down.
The rescued animals are taken to the Moon Bear Rescue Centre near Chengdu in Sichuan province. Robinson says the rehabilitation will take months, as the bears have become defenceless and disabled after being caged and tortured for years.