Mia’s persuasive draft essay - moon bears Try to imagine… you are being held captive, in a cage that is rusted and sharp. A cage that scars your skin with burn marks… If you could imagine this, you might start to be able to picture the horrors that the moon bears are put through. Asian black bears (also known as moon bears) are vulnerable creatures and a headline on the red tier list (meaning they’re endangered) for threatened species. Did you know that there are only 20,000 moon bears left in the entire world and 12,000 are in captivity, being abused? This cruel practise must cease! Moon bears must be protected as a species and supported to be kept in sanctuaries. Not-so-fun fact; moon bears are in captivity and are being drained of their bile, which is medically proven to help dissolve gallstones and treat liver disease. The extraction of this precious fluid from live bears causes unimaginable suffering and physical damage to these poor creatures. The main issues lowering the population of our beautiful bears are; poaching, wildlife trafficking and capturing for dangerous entertainment purposes. It is critical that they be protected from such threats because animal cruelty is wrong. Moon bears, sacred to North Japan’s Ainu tribe, contributes to the management of prey populations in their ecosystems, which can cause huge ripples in their jungle sanctums. It is believed that the white crescent moon on the moon bear’s chest was given to them by the Buddhist Goddess Kwan- Yin? Moon bears have been portrayed talking directly to the gods and bringing back messages for their people. Obviously, they have strong cultural significance in Japan and therefore these bears should be protected from unholy acts like poaching. While you may think that moon bears aren’t your problem because there not in Australia, that is where you would be wrong. You see, they actually play a major part in their ecosystems with seed dispersion and stabilising prey populations. All ecosystems are intertwined, so if one falls, there will be a ripple effect to other ecosystems. This can cause an indirect disturbance, (and a major problem), in other countries, causing instability and chaos among citizens of the planet. To summarise, moon bears may not feel like your problem, but they are--a little difference can go a long way, so talk to your friends about it, spread the word on social media. Remember, knowledge is power. These are just three among many arguments for moon bears being protected. So, you can see, (as the vulnerable species that they are,) moon bears must be protected and kept in sanctuaries Bibliography animals asia. (2019, july 26). animals asia #MoonBearDay2019: All about moon bears. Retrieved from animals asia website: https://www.animalsasia.org/au/media/news/newsarchive/moonbearday2019-all-about-moon-bears.html Animals Network Team. (2018, none none). animal index-moonbears. Retrieved from animals network: https://animals.net/moon-bear/ aren't I worth saving?
