The Plight of the Moon Bear

The first time I ever heard of a moon bear was reading a newspaper on a plane about twenty years ago.  A picture showed a large bear in a cage barely big enough to contain it.  The sad fact is that even twenty years later, that bear is probably still in there.

In Asia, bear bile is taken as a medicine for various ailments ranging from hangovers to erectile dysfunction.  But in order to obtain this sought after substance, thousands of bears suffer decades of extreme confinement in cages that are sometimes no bigger than a coffin.  Bile is drained from a tube inserted in their gall bladder.

The bear's ability endure this for so long must be the basis for the phrase "I can't bear it".  However, the fact is that there are other natural, cruelty free alternatives to bear bile that many traditional Chinese doctors have endorsed.  But while there are people that still swear by the real thing, these bears will continue to suffer needlessly.

The good news is that the non-profit organization Animals Asia has made it their mission to put an end to bear farming, and to date has rescued over 400 bears from this lifetime of misery.  To find out more about the bear bile industry and the great work Animals Asia does to help animals in need go to www.animalsasia.org and www.facebook.com/animalsasia.

In an effort to help raise funds and awareness, I will be attempting the impossible by running the Tough Mudder in New Jersey on October 13th in a full bear costume.  Maybe you’ve seen me training around Tarrytown.  If not, you can see a video here. 

If you too are touched by the plight of these bears, please support my fundraiser at www.crowdrise.com/moonbear.  Any amount is greatly appreciated and will go toward helping more bears find their freedom.

UPDATE:  It took me 6 hours but I managed to finish.  And here's the you-tube video to prove it:  How to run the Tough Mudder in a Bear Costume