Forest officials have arrested five suspects in connection with the killing of six bears in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Four of the bears were killed in Garhwal and two in Kumaon region, according to the Hindustan Times. The five suspects were arrested in two separate raids, and the bear gallbladders, along with other body parts, were confiscated.
Pramjeet Singh of Kumaon forestry department said his teams would be on the lookout for wildlife traffickers.
Recovery of the bear body parts indicates that poachers are active in the state. I have asked my special patrolling teams to be on guard. More arms will be provided to our staff soon.
Sadly, bear gallbladders are in demand because the bile is still used in traditional Chinese medicine — although there is absolutely no reason to use “ingredients” sourced from bears.
The active ingredient in bear bile, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), is available as a synthetic and there are at least 50 herbal alternatives to bear bile.
In the U.S., Hawaii recently passed a law that prohibits the “purchase, sale, transportation and delivery of any item containing bear bile or gallbladders.”
Image © iStockphoto.com
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.