Is it illegal to sell black bear gallbladder?
Legal Loopholes in the United States
Currently, individual states have laws to restrict illegal trade. There are 34 states that prohibit the trade in bear gallbladders, while only five states allow commercialization and the remainder either have no regulations or allow sale if the bear was killed outside the state.
Why do people sell bear gallbladders?
(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.
What do people use bear gallbladders for?
‘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.
How much do bear gallbladders go for?
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. Abroad, that figure rises to $10,000.
How much is a black bear gallbladder worth?
Examples are: “Tiny quantities of bile from the gall of endangered Asiatic black bears can be worth up to 18 times the price of gold in the retail markets of Asia.” And, “In South Korea a bear gallbladder could bring more than US$10,000 in 1994.” Comparisons have often been made to the drug trade in values, method of …
Why can’t you keep a bear gallbladder?
Consumers of bear bile run the risk of ingesting bile from sick bears, which can be contaminated with blood, feces, pus, urine, and bacteria. If the animals stop producing bile, they may be left to starve or be slaughtered, their parts sold on the black market.
Can you sell bear gallbladder?
A U.S. hunter can sell a bear gallbladder for $20 to $120, with the retail price ranging from $75 to $600. Paws fetch $25 to $60 each, while a carcass or hide can range from $200 to $1,500, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In Taiwan, however, gallbladders were selling in 1991 for $800 to $3,000.
Why do Chinese want bear gallbladders?
Bear bile has been used in traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years. It contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) known to be useful for treating liver and gall bladder conditions in humans.
Can you sell a bear gallbladder?
A U.S. hunter can sell a bear gallbladder for $20 to $120, with the retail price ranging from $75 to $600. Paws fetch $25 to $60 each, while a carcass or hide can range from $200 to $1,500, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
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.
Can you sell a bear gallbladder in Idaho?
Black bears walking through the state’s forests carry a tiny package that puts their lives in danger – bear gall bladders are worth $5,000 to $8,000 in Asian markets. Idaho’s bears are at particular risk because Idaho and Wyoming are the only states in the Northwest where it is not illegal to buy or sell the organs.
Are bear gall bladders worth money?
What do Chinese do with bear gallbladders?
China promotes bear bile as coronavirus treatment, alarming wildlife advocates. At bear farms in China and Southeast Asia, bile for use in traditional medicine is extracted by inserting a catheter, syringe, or pipe into the animals’ gallbladders—an invasive and painful process.
Is bear bile safe for people?
It contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) known to be useful for treating liver and gall bladder conditions in humans. However, there are now many readily available herbal and synthetic alternatives with the same medicinal properties.
Why do people use bear bile?
Does bear bile farming still exist?
According to recent official numbers, at least 10,000 bears are currently kept on bile farms in Asia. The extraction of bear bile from live bears causes unimaginable physical and psychological suffering and long-term health problems. Bile being extracted from a moon bear.