- The Asiatic Black Bear is often called the Moon Bear. The name is related to the crescent moon found on the bears' chest.
- Moon Bears weigh from 110 lbs. to 450 lbs. and live in high altitude forests from Pakistan to Japan. They sleep in trees or caves and their diet consists of fruit, vegetables, insects, small animals, honey and carcasses.
- The Asiatic black bear is an excellent tree climber.
- The Moon Bear is also classified endangered by CITES.
- The Asiatic black bear and the American black bear share similar habits.
- Life Span is up to 24 years
- oon bears have thick, shaggy fur, ranging in colour from ebony black to a lighter brown-black, and big round ears. They have short, strong claws which enable them to climb with ease.
- Moon bears are found right across the Asian continent from Pakistan to Japan. They often live at high altitudes and prefer heavily forested areas.
- Moon bears are classified as carnivores.
- Moon bears are the most valued bears for traditional medicine, partly because the species was so abundant in the areas where traditional medicine originated.
- Moon bears tend to give birth to twins in April or May but they are also known to give birth earlier in hibernation.
| Bear bile extraction techniques: |
1. Latex catheter
In this technique a narrow rubber pipe was embedded under the skin and surgically attached to the gall bladder. The farmer extracted the bile through the rubber pipe which exited the skin at the top of the bear's thigh.
Then the rubber pipe was connected to a fluid bag inside a metal box, which was attached to a metal jacket that held the box in place under the bear's abdomen. The bile drained through the rubber pipe into the protected fluid bag and was emptied every two weeks or so by the farmer.
2. Metal catheter
Metal catheter varying in length from 5 to 7.5 inches, a catheter was surgically implanted into the bears' gall bladder, allowing the farmers to milk the bears each day. During milking the bears were enticed to lie flat on the bottom of the cage in order to feed from a low tray which is thereby allowing the farmer easy access to the bear's abdomen and catheter.
3. “Free-dripping" technique
In recent years, Chinese bear farmers have introduced a new and so-called humane, "free-dripping" method of bile extraction. This method uses no catheter, but sees a permanent hole, or fistula, cruelly carved into the bear's abdomen and gall bladder, from which bile drips freely out.
4. “Free-dripping" technique
In recent years, Chinese bear farmers have introduced a new and so-called humane, "free-dripping" method of bile extraction.4. "Fake-free dripping" technique
Rather than a fistula hole in the abdomen the farmers are now inserting a permanent, clear perspex catheter into the fistula, which is almost impossible to see unless the abdomen is shaved and examined close-up.
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