There is something truly shocking about a box of medicine with a beautiful picture of a bear on the front when you know how the medicine was made, and why the bear is on the packet. WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) supporters are well aware of the horrible truth behind the pillbox. But the people who buy it aren't. All they know is that it contains Traditional Chinese Medicine, made from bears in some way. Just as we don't necessarily know how aspirin is made, so consumers of these medicines are unaware of the suffering they embody.

When they learn the truth, they're as horrified as you were when you first heard the facts. And they tell us they'll never use these medicines again - especially when we reassure them that herbal alternatives work just as well.

WSPA are going to make sure that as many consumers of these medicines as possible get to learn the truth about them. That way we will see a dramatic drop in demand, helping to put the bear bile farms out of business.

To bring home the cruelty of bear bile farming, WSPA have had a mechanical bear made for us by the people who made the models for TVs "Walking with Cavemen". The bear is an Asiatic black bear, life-size and capable of movement and making sounds.

The bear is kept in a cage, the same size as those used in bear bile farms - that is, too small for him to lie down properly or stand up. He can only hunch on his side. He can move his head a little, and blink. He groans with pain just as the real bears do.

Like them, he has a shaved area on his abdomen where there is a perpetually open wound, oozing yellow bile. This is where the tube is inserted twice a day to milk his bile.

WSPA are going to set up his cage in the street, in shopping malls, schools and government departments in the countries where bear bile products are sold. They include Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and, of course, China. We've already tested him out in some of these countries, and you can imagine, he attracts a lot of attention. Members of local WSPA societies are on hand to explain to passers-by what they're looking at, and to hand out leaflets.

Everyone is appalled to hear that bears are kept like this for as long as ten years. Our bear has injuries on his head and body, which we explain are the result of stereotypic behaviour - thrashing about in this cage, banging and rubbing himself against the bars. It is easy for anyone to understand that after years in this cage, he has gone mad with the pain and confinement.

The reactions WSPA see and hear from everyone who sees their bear are heartening. People clearly had no idea of the pain and misery the bears endure. When they see it played out in front of them, their jaws drop; they gasp with horror; they are stunned. Then they tell WSPA they will never, ever buy bear bile products again. This is what WSPA want to hear, from as many consumers as possible.

So now WSPA must take their bear round as many cities, towns and villages in all the countries where bear bile products are bought, and show everyone they can just what the bears are put through.

There are more than 7,000 bears in farms in China. They produce about a kilo of bile each per year. Of this, WSPA suspect about 3,000 kg is illegally exported. It's big business, supported by aggressive marketing. WSPA need to fight back just as hard.

It costs several thousand pounds every time WSPA show their bear. That covers the materials and time involved in a road show. WSPA must get their bear seen as widely as can be in all countries where bear bile products are used and are requesting donations to help them show people exactly how bears suffer in Chinese bear farms.

Support for WSPA in their past campaigns has helped put together a damning report on bear farming and the illegal trade in bear parts. WSPA are using this to embarrass the Chinese government, who are eager for international status, and also to make sure the laws forbidding traffic in bear bile products are enforced, not relaxed.

Now, if WSPA can create a drop in demand, they will have the bear bile farmers under pressure from both sides.

By the way, you might like to know that the WSPA mechanical bear has a name - "Chiwan". It is Chinese for hope. It's what he represents for all the bears in torment today.