Microsoft has joined the campaign to end bear bile farming with the development of an interactive website Exploring Moon Bears that explains the plight of China’s moon bears and the work of Animals Asia.

The IT giant donated its time and expertise to put together the site which is anticipated to be used by millions of school children across China. In addition, with an English language version now available, the site can be viewed and used throughout the world. The work showcases features from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 11 but can work across all browsers and on PCs and tablets.

Strikingly different from traditional websites, Exploring Moon Bears is designed to look like three books which present the past and present of rescued moon bear Jasper and look at the 15 years of work by Animals Asia. With their colourful stories told through the technological advantages of IE11 - hardware acceleration, support for the latest web standards such as HTML5 and optimised touch support - the site showcases a smooth 3D bears experiences to users, which is made possible by the strong technical support of WebGL from IE11, and lets users immerse themselves in the moon bear stories.

Wei Qing, Microsoft Windows and Surface Business Group Lead (pictured top), said:

“Microsoft is unwaveringly committed to charity development. We are more than pleased to collaborate with Animals Asia in co-launching the ‘Exploring Moon Bears’ website which fully leverages leading technology in IE11 and appeals to a larger audience to join and stop bear bile farming through a more vivid and interactive online experience.”

Microsoft’s support has been welcomed by Animals Asia whose founder and CEO Jill Robinson MBE said:

“If you want to reach the widest possible sector of the population then there is literally no one better to have on your side than Microsoft. We are bowled over by their support. From the outset their enthusiasm for the cause coupled with their immense creativity has impressed us all. We love what they did and now young people across China and the world can use this tool to learn about moon bears. Education is the key to changing the world and ensuring that people know the cruelty and illegality behind bile farming.”

Microsoft was introduced to Animals Asia by Logic Design who had worked with Animals Asia on its 15th anniversary celebrations in China. They were looking for a project to showcase Internet Explorer 11’s capabilities and were visibly moved by a visit to Animals Asia’s sanctuary in Chengdu, China where 140 bears rescued from China’s bear bile industry are currently being cared for.

Jill Robinson added:

“Jasper and the moon bears touched the collective hearts of Microsoft and now thanks to their incredible creativity and hard work they’ve reached millions more people across the world. We can’t thank Microsoft enough for their help. We are truly inspired by their contribution and commitment to ending bear bile farming.”