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On the farms, the bears - mostly Asiatic black bears - are kept in tiny, cramped cages and milked for their bile through crude holes cut into the abdomen wall and the gall bladder.
The wounds are deliberately left open, leaving the bears exposed to infection and disease. They are kept hungry and denied free access to water because this helps produce more bile.
The farms are still found in many parts of China and other Asian countries, fuelling poaching and illegal trade in the animals.
Dr Feng’s research shows that herbal alternatives and bile from other animals such as cattle - which can be collected cheaply at abbatoirs - can be more effective than bear bile.
He will argue that growing opposition to animal substitutes will mean that, eventually, only plant substitutes will be acceptable. “The final choice will have to be to use plants to substitute bear bile,” he will tell the conference at Central Hall.
Chinese doctors to call for 'cruel' bear farms to be closed - Telegraph
Article Source: Telegraph
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- Public Discussion (8)
Bear bile has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 3,000 years.
Until about 30 years ago, the only way to acquire bear bile was by killing a wild animal and removing its gall bladder. In the early 1980s bear farms began appearing in North Korea and quickly spread to China.
Bears rescued from farms by Animals Asia are found to be suffering from liver cancer, blindness, shattered teeth and ulcerated gums. Contaminated bile from sick bears poses a threat to human health.
The campaign has won support from celebrities including Joanna Lumley, the actress. “Bear farming is a cruel and unnecessary practice,” she said.
“The bears are suffering and dying from liver cancers - and doctors in Asia are now urgently highlighting concerns for those who consume the diseased bile.”
Karen Mok, China’s biggest music star, said: “Animals deserve to live in a world without fear or suffering. We must all help the thousands of bears suffering terrible cruelty.”
- 6 votes
#2 - Wed Nov 2, 2011 3:54 PM EDTBK
This is incredibly horrible & All humans involved should be executed! I worked with a red bear named Cinnamon & a black bear named Raisin, they lived together. I always grabbed a handful of grapes if I were passing by their enclosure on my way to give other animals meds. So sweet & I loved their movable soft little noses.
Ohio really pissed me off! I don't understand why there could not have been a HUGE major alert just like a Tornado, everyone stay inside. I don't think the animals would have just attacked unless they were starved or someone ran & obviously become prey at that point. Ohio has a Zoo, National Guard, Swat, & they could have flown them in via quickest way even if Black Hawk or whatever & shot animals with tranquilizers. They didn't need to die. I've worked & been around wild & friendly Bengals, Grizzlies, Wolves, whatever...as far as I know they don't attack unless provoked or have been starved, or you run & become prey. I learned how to make darts by hand & use a blow pipe. Not all the animals in the compound were friendly, as most of them were not, so if they became ill, we would have to dart them for sedation, throw in 2 IV Catheters, hanging 2 5 liter bags of fluids (African Lions) give antibiotics, x-rays or whatever...can't leave catheters in, everything happens at once, then a quick reversal.
Just sad cause our exotics are disappearing so fast, especially the Cats & Elephants.
Cheers
Ektar
PS BK check ATS mail
- 3 votes
#4 - Fri Nov 4, 2011 10:31 PM EDTBear Bile! I am just fine (healthy) and I have never had a drop of 'bear bile'---Nor would I ever want it! What the heck! I understand cultural differences and appreciate them. This is, however, beyond the 'cultural' thing and simply another form of GREED!
There are over 54 different herbal alternatives and man-made synthetics that can take their place. No one is going to die from a lack of bear bile.”
The article states quite clearly that there are plenty of 'alternatives' to the bear bile! It also states that no one has died or suffered from a lack of bear bile!
While I do believe in eating animals for food is fine, I do not believe the animal should suffer any form of torture and that is exactly what is going on in these bear bile farms---extremely sad and upsetting!
- 3 votes
#6 - Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:47 PM ESTI agree with the poster up above---about the Ohio animals. I do not understand How this man came to aquire these rare animals, nor do I understand why they were not tranq.ed and place in zoos!!!
- 3 votes
#7 - Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:50 PM ESTThat's right FW.
We should all have our own responsibility in what we eat, what we buy, who donate to and who we sponsor. Someone sent me a link (reposting here) in connecting with the Chevron oil spill in Brazil. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574346610120524166.html
Personally I would rather die than to have the bile to cure whatever illness. I would also decline projects/job offers that I know would hurt others. Would you operate the rov to blow up the well to flood the Gulf with oil, if offered a million bucks? I know many would and now they are in hiding for fear of reprisals as the dark secrets are being leaked out. If no rov operators would do such evil deeds, if no geologists would go with the evil plans, if no surveyors would chart the map........there would have been no man-made disasters.
If I eat no meat then I have the peace of mind that no animals had been killed or ill-treated to satisfy my hunger. Some years back, the outcry over NIKE using 3rd world countries child-labour was very effective. Stop the buying then the killing can.
- 3 votes
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