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Hosted by: Dick Gordon
Show Originally Aired: 12/22/2004 CALL 1 800-423-TALK
Moon Bears
A bear on a farm - it will be milked twice a day for bile Email to friend
Animals Asia's photographs of the rescue of bears from bile harvesting farms, as well as images depicting the treatment of other animals in China.
Gandhi said that "the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Some would argue that China has a long way to go, at least when it comes to the Asiatic Black Bear -- also known as the Moon Bear.
The Chinese value the Moon Bears for their bile, which has been used as medicine for thousands of years. Today, some 7,000 of these animals live in small, metal cages with catheters permanently implanted into their gal bladders to extract the coveted bile.
Jill Robinson says that a nation's culture can't be an excuse for cruelty. Eleven years ago, she visited a bear farm in mainland China, and has been working to rescue the bears since. She is making progress -- now, she is working with the Chinese government to close down the bear farms.
