When a new structure appeared in the enclosure it made these three disabled moon bears – rescued from bile farms – smile with joy and determined to explore every spot.  

When moon bear Kevin wandered out onto the grass at Animals Asia’s sanctuary in China recently, there was something new he couldn’t quite put his nose to immediately. 

Was it a new tyre swing?...No, that’s been around for awhile.  

Was it birdsong in the trees?...No, that twittering’s been heard before. 

Hang on a second...it’s this!...a rebuilt teepee complete with a brand new wooden platform! 

Not far behind Kevin was his BFF or rather his BBF (best bear friend) Chance who also wanted to investigate the new structure, which had to be rebuilt recently after a tree fell down in the enclosure overnight.  

Within moments, the two were having the time of their lives.

Chance, who lost his right forearm – mostly likely when trapped in the wild – claimed the space underneath the teepee where he had a good jiggle about.  

Kevin, himself missing his left forearm, clambered onto the platform where he had fun tearing off strips of bark with his teeth and relieving an itch by scratching his big bear body against wooden poles holding up the teepee. 

Shortly afterwards Mityan, a blind bear, ambled up to the new toy where an awaiting Kevin nuzzled him hello and playfully pawed at him.

Like the others, Mityan was also rescued from a bile farm and has spent more than a decade being cared for by Animals Asia.  

When they were separately brought to the sanctuary in 2005, both he and Chance had suffered a fistula or permanently opened duct from the gall bladder to abdomen from which their bile dripped – to be collected and sold on for use in traditional medicine.

“It's amazing how much joy something as simple as a new wooden structure can bring these disabled bears. Despite disabilities from missing limbs to complete blindness, all three bears – Chance, Mityan and Kevin – zeroed in on the structure and started exploring it in their own way.  

“These three are very playful bears and have been close recently, so it was great to see them all explore the structure together. It is incredibly rewarding to see bears who have suffered so dreadfully, come out the other side to live happy lives.”