Interpol asked us....

The famed international police organisation, Interpol, wants to break up the illegal trading of bear bile products. And it wants HSI’s help. Obviously, we said ‘yes’ in a heartbeat.

The digestive juice from an Asian Black bear’s liver is highly prized in traditional Chinese medicine. So, throughout South Korea, China, Laos and Vietnam there are hundreds of ‘farms’ forcefully extracting this bile from bears caged in the most torturous conditions.

These pitiful creatures are deliberately under-nourished as depriving them of food and water increases their bile production.

CUT THEM OPEN 

They are kept in ‘crush cages’ which prevent them standing upright and worse, they’re often made to lie on their backs and are unable to move at all. The extraction is achieved by inserting a hose directly into their stomach and gall bladder. Both crude and excruciatingly insensitive, they are fully conscious during the initial insertion and then must suffer two extractions per day.

THOUSANDS SUFFERING 

It’s estimated that at least 12,000 bears are trapped in physical agony, suffering mental anguish every minute of their pathetic lives. And while some organisations have been successful with getting creatures out of these hell holes, many have simply just been replaced with younger ones.

LET’S FIGHT BACK

Despite national wildlife laws and global treaties, the bear bile trade flourishes. An ugly cocktail of corruption, poor legislation and ineffective authorities now threatens the very survival of the Asian Black Bear, Sun Bear, and Brown Bear.

However, HSI has been involved in protecting bears for over 20 years and we will not give up. That’s why, when INTERPOL’s Environmental Crime Program approached us to help with an international trade investigation to break the supply chains and trafficking networks, we leapt at the opportunity.

By infiltrating the supply lines, frustrating the transporting of the bears and exposing the perpetrators this hideous ‘farming’ can be stamped out.

Combining our experience with INTERPOL’s law enforcement and investigative powers gives us the best ever chance of success.

Please make an End-of-Financial Year donation and help us fight back.

 

  

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1. The bears are drained crudely twice a day
2. Bear bile on sale in Phuc Tho, Vietnam
3. This odius trade is not limited to their bile
4. Many suffer horrendously from trapping