Do poachers kill black bears to sell their gall bladders or other body parts?
Bear body parts are commonly used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. Bear gall, containing the active ingredient ursodeoxycholic acid, is highly coveted as a “cold” medicine used to treat fever, lower body temperature, and reduce inflamed tissues. Other bear parts including bone, fat, brain, blood, and lungs are used to treat arthritis, skin disorders and hearing loss, and to increase strength and sexual potency. Bear paws, meat, and fat are also eaten and considered delicacies. Teeth, claws, and skulls are sold to tourists as curios or souvenirs or made into artifacts or jewelry. Asian bears-including the Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, and sun bear-were once the sole sources of such potions, medications, and other products. As Asian bear populations diminished-either through illegal killing, lack of legal protection, or loss of habitat-some oriental consumers turned to imports from North American bears to satisfy their needs. In 1992, the American black bear was listed on Ap
