How much is a bear gall bladder worth? A report published in 2013 stated that a poacher in North America can usually get US$100 to $150 for a gallbladder, but the organs can fetch $5,000 to $10,000 in the end-market once they are processed into a powder.
How much does a bear gallbladder cost?
The report also stated that the HSUS indicated a bear gallbladder can cost more than $3,000 in Asia. Click to see full answer. In respect to this, why are bear gall bladders valuable?
How much is bear bile worth?
But bear bile is a prized substance in East Asian traditional medicine. And although much has changed in the past 25 years, in many countries bear bile has maintained its value. An investigation from 2011 showed that in Japan, powdered bear bile is sold for an average rate of $153 (American) a gram -- 4 times its weight in gold.
Why are bear gallbladders so valuable?
In respect to this, why are bear gall bladders valuable? "Bear gallbladders and bile are used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of illnesses including fever, liver disease, convulsions, diabetes, and heart disease," HSUS' website states. But the problem doesn't just affect Asian bears -- and their valuable gallbladders.
Is the gall of a black bear worth anything?
As well, the gall of an Asian bear, regardless of size, is worth considerably more than the gall of a North American black bear. All Canadian jurisdictions and most US states report "stable or increasing" populations of black bears.
Is it illegal to sell bear gallbladder?
California's Fish and Game Code includes a provision stating that “it is unlawful to sell or purchase, or possess for sale, the meat, skin, hide, teeth, claws, or other parts of any bear in this state” and that “the possession of more than one bear gall bladder is prima facie evidence that the bear gall bladders are ...Mar 11, 2008
How much is a bear gallbladder worth in China?
about $185 per poundThe bile can sell for about $185 per pound in China, with an average wild bear gallbladder demanding about $10,000 in South Korea, according to the center. Such poaching of bear gallbladders has occurred for many years in U.S. forests and parks.May 3, 2019
What do poachers do with bear gallbladder?
The bears were allegedly killed for their gallbladders, which are worth a small fortune on the Asian black market for their supposed healing properties. On Quebec's black market, a bear's gallbladder can sell for up to $250.Jul 20, 2018
Why are bears killed for their gallbladder?
The demand for bile and gallbladders exists in Asian communities throughout the world, including the European Union and the United States. This demand has led to bears being hunted in the US specifically for this purpose.
How much is a bear paw worth?
Bear-paw soup sells for $60 to $100 per bowl as a delicacy in some Washington restaurants, officials said, and can fetch upward of $1,000 a bowl in some Asian cities. Whether it's a "sportsman" or a poacher who puts the gall in the dealer's hand, the transaction is illegal.May 18, 1999
Why is bear bile valuable?
Bear bile has been used in traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years and contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) known to be useful for treating liver and gall bladder conditions. However, there are many readily available alternatives with the same medicinal properties.May 26, 2015
Why is black bear gallbladder illegal?
The international commercial trade in bear bile is prohibited by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), the treaty that regulates cross-border wildlife trade.Feb 25, 2019
Are bear claws valuable?
The jumbo claws are about 2.5" to 3" long on the curve. They are typically from 300 to 500 pound black bears and are very rare. The large claws measure 2" to 2.5" on the curve....Order CodeDescriptionPriceR-209-04-SET-ASReal Black Bear Claw:Matched Set of 20Buy on NaturalExotics.com3 more rows
Why do people want black bear gallbladder?
"Bear gallbladders and bile are used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of illnesses including fever, liver disease, convulsions, diabetes, and heart disease," HSUS' website states.Nov 29, 2010
Is bear bile farming still legal?
Unfortunately, bear bile farming is still completely legal in China. Although there are regulations in place aimed at curbing the worst cruelty, these are often ignored and so far there have been no prosecutions. Bears on bile farms live in isolation and cannot express any natural behaviours.Nov 1, 2021
How is a bear gallbladder removed?
Bear's bile is extracted using various invasive techniques, all of which cause severe suffering, pain and infection. The method claimed to be the most 'humane' by bile farmers, is 'free-drip' method, where bears undergo surgery to create a permanent open passage from their gallbladder through their abdomen.
What is an alternative to bear bile?
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), the active component of bear bile is used in a synthetic form in Western medicine and can serve as an alternative to bear bile in the treatment and management of certain cholestatic liver conditions.
What is a bear gall bladder used for?
What Is a Bear's Gall Bladder Used For? According to the Los Angeles Times, some traditional Asian medicines use bear gallbladders. Fever, liver disease, convulsions, diabetes and heart disease are some of the conditions treated with these medications. While there is scientific evidence that supports the value of gallbladders for remedies, ...
What animals are used to sell gallbladders?
While there is scientific evidence that supports the value of gallbladders for remedies, similarly effective synthetic substances are available. Brown bears, Asiatic black bears, giant pandas, sloth bears and Asian sun bears have all been targeted by poachers seeking to sell gallbladders for medical purposes.
Why are bear gallbladders so expensive?
So there's one reason why bear gallbladders are so expensive: they have serious medicinal properties, which makes them inherently valuable. Sort of.
How to remove gallbladder from bear?
Secondly, how is a bear gallbladder removed? The easiest way to remove a gallbladder from a black bear, according to hunters, is to start a deep slit from just above the waistline and cut straight towards the lowest rung of the rib cage. But first, one has to catch the bear.
Where did bear bile farming begin?
Commercial ' bear bile farming' began in China in the 1980's. It is a cruel farming system designed to extract bile from the gallbladders of living bears. Previous to this, bears were hunted in the wild for their gallbladder bile, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Can you have a gall bladder on a black bear?
In some cultures, there is the traditional belief that black bear gall bladders have medicinal powers. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act makes it illegal for a person to possess a black bear gall bladder that has been removed from the bear's carcass.
What is bear bile?
Metabolically speaking, bears are unique animals. They are the only mammals that produce significant amounts of the bile tauro ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Records indicate that bear bile has been used in traditional Chinese medicine since as early as 659 A.D.
When did Quebec prohibit bear gall bladders?
Note: In 1998 Quebec passed legislation prohibiting the sale of bear gall-bladders and bile as well possession is permitted only if the gall-bladder has not beeen removed from the animals carcass.
When was bear bile made?
Japanese scientists succeeded in chemically synthesizing bear bile in 1955. Today it is made synthetically from cow bile and about 200 tonnes consumed annually. About 10 tonnes are used in North America.
Which states allow bear parts?
As well, 21 American states (including Maine and New Hampshire) allow the sale of bear parts. In Nova Scotia we have yet to find any evidence of poaching for the value of parts.
Do bear galls have to be sealed?
Our regulations now state that any bear gall sold in or exported from N.S., must first be sealed with a numbered, permanently locking seal. By policy we will not seal the gall of a bear from another jurisdiction unless it is accompanied by documentation demonstrating that it was legally obtained and legally imported, and the jurisdiction of origin permits the sale of bear galls.
When did the black bear become a CITES species?
In 1992 , the N.A. Black Bear was listed on the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II as "a look-a-like species" to assist with the enforcement and protection of endangered bear species including the Asiatic black bear.
Does hunting and poaching affect bears?
3) The very stringent legislation associated with hunting bears and the sale and export of parts, provides an assurance that hunting and poaching will not detrimentally affect our bear population nor negatively affect proper management of bears in other jurisdictions.
What is the most coveted part of bears?
The most coveted medicinal part of the bear is the bile within the gall bladder, which gram for gram can exceed the cost of narcotics.”. Bile and gallbladders have been used for thousands of years in the treatment of numerous of ailments including cardiac problems, eye puffiness, asthma, cancer, burns and impotence.
Where are bears kept?
In China and Vietnam, where the wild bear population is low and declining, thousands of bears (mainly Asiatic black bears) are kept in cages on bear bile farms, where their bile is harvested through catheters inserted directly into their gall bladders.
Where was the black bear found?
The remains of a black bear cub were found in a garbage bag along the border of the Quanitco Marine Corps base and Prince William Forest Park in Virginia recently. Investigator’s found that the bear’s gallbladder was removed, and believe the mutilation was related to the international black market trade of bear bile and gallbladders, which are valuable in Asiatic medicines.
Is milking bears illegal?
This has outraged animal rights groups around the world, and though this type of ‘milking’ would be illegal in the U.S. , the large wild bear population presents a tempting target. Irregular laws and enforcement make the poaching, smuggling and sale of bear visceral products not uncommon. Photo: bobisbob. Hunting.
Why are bear gallbladders so expensive?
(There’s even evidence that it inhibits the growth of tumors and thus helps prevent colon cancer.) So there’s one reason why bear gallbladders are so expensive: they have serious medicinal properties, which makes them inherently valuable . Sort of.
What is the acid in the gallbladder of a bear?
Bear gallbladders have a very high concentration of what’s called ursodeoxycholic acid in their gallbladders, particularly in the winter. Urosdeoxycholic acid breaks down clumps of molecules containing cholesterol, while at the same time slowing down the small intestine’s absorption of cholesterol.
How long do bear gallbladders sleep?
Bear gallbladders are special because bears hibernate. They go into a deep sleep for 3 to 8 months out of the year, depending on the climate. In that time they do not eat, urinate, or defecate, but they somewhat miraculously lose a lot of fat but not much muscle.
What color is bear bile?
Greenish-Yellowish Gold. Bottles of bear bile (Animals Asia) Most U.S. states regulate bear hunting, and have banned trade in bear gallbladders and biles. But because of the messy patchwork of state laws and interstate and international trade, prosecution is sometimes tricky.
Why do people hunt wild bears?
Poachers continue to trap wild bears to supply these farms. They also continue to hunt them for their gallbladders. Many consumers prefer wild bear bile to “farmed” bear bile, so wild bear bladders fetch a higher price. As Christopher Servheen, a biologist for the World Conservation Union, put it, “It's the same reason people would pay more for vitamin C made from rose hips even though it's the same molecule.” From a 2002 article in Legal Affairs magazine:
How did bear habitat change in China?
By the early 1990s, the bear habitat in China was reduced to one-fifth of the area that existed before the 1940s. As people started settling in what used to be wilderness, bears and humans came into more frequent contact. This lead to an increase in hunting, which was followed by a steady decline in yields -- suggesting a decline in the bear population.
When did bear farming start?
As a consequence, the practice of bear “farming” sprung up in the 1980s. The idea was to keep and breed captive bears, and regularly “milk” their gallbladders for bile.
