Cages of Shame

The Astiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is also known as the “Moon Bear” for the cream-colored crescent moon shape on their chest. The bears’ bile – a digestive juice produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder – fetches a good price on the market. Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid, which, in traditional Chinese medicine is believed to reduce fever, protect the liver, improve eyesight, and break down gallstones.
The screening is followed by a Q&A with Animals Asia founder and CEO,Jill Robinson.
The film Cages of Shame centers on the shuttering of the last bear bile farm in China’s Shandong province and the subsequent liberation of ten critically ill moon bears (Ursus thibetanus) in April, 2010. The screening is followed by a talk and Q&A by Animals Asia founder and CEO Jill Robinson.
This is the U.S. premiere of Cages of Shame, winner of The Humane Society of the United States’ ACE Documentary Grant. Narrated by Peter Coyote, the filmdetails every step of a venture that quickly became a nail-biting race against time before ultimately delivering success against all the odds.
In 1993, Animals Asia Founder and CEO Jill Robinson broke away from a tour group in China to witness endangered moon bears being painfully farmed for their bile. These 220 lb. animals were incarcerated in tiny wire cages, with rusting metal catheters implanted in their abdomens. Following her visit, Jill immediately began her work to bring an end to the cruel practice. Founded in 1998, Animals Asia has since continuously worked to end bear farming. Rescued bears come to live out the rest of their lives in Animals Asia’s China and Vietnam Bear Rescue Centers—expansive sanctuaries where the bears may play, forage, and lounge in peace.