I just remember walking around this room in total shock and then backing into a cage and feeling something

touch my shoulder and realizing, oh my gosh, you know, I got too close and, you know, thinking I was going to be hurt.

And as I turned round, what had touched me was a bear's paw through the bars of the cage,

and she just had her poor there, just it out and I did something ridiculously stupid.

I took her poor because it was there, it was just reaching out and she just squeezed

my fingers. That's all she did. She just rhythmically squeezed my fingers. That's all she did.

She just rhythmically squeezed my fingers

and I just looked into her eyes and I just knew

it was one of those amazing moments that you can hardly describe because you just know at that

point everything in your life is going to change and indeed that's exactly what happens. Hi, I'm Elizabeth Novigrats. This is Species Unite. We have a favor to ask if you like today's episode and you have a spare minute,

could you please rate and review Species Unite on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps people to find the show.

This conversation is with Jill Robinson.

Jill has spent more than 30 years of her life fighting to end one of the darkest most hidden industries on the planet,

Bear Bile farming.

Jill's organization, Animals Asia, is close to reaching the goal that they set out to achieve,

to end Bear Bile Farms.

And today we're going to find out how they got there. Jill, thank you so much for being here today.

Oh gosh, thank you Elizabeth.

It's wonderful to just talking with you and sharing our work and showing off a little bit.

Fantastic.

I love it. I would love to go way back and talk about, well, was there any foreshadowing to like this becoming your life? I know you grew up in the UK but were there animals?

Was that part of your life? Oh yeah I mean I've loved animals before I could even say the word

...