The Chinese have long believed that bear gall bladders hold special healing qualities — leading to the worldwide massacre of bears to feed the Chinese traditional medicine market. Now a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, Guizhentang, has introduced “Bear bile farms” where hundreds of bears are held in cramped cages to be harvested for their bile. The horrific practice is carried out on drugged bears with a hypodermic needle.
The Chinese government of course has done nothing to stop this disgusting practice and the company now plans to triple the size of its bear-bile farms. It currently has 400 bears being “milked” of their bile.
What is a positive development is the growing opposition in China. Environmentalists are often arrested in China. Animal rights activists believe that about 20,000 black bears are kept on about 100 bile farms in China.
It is a practice that any government with a modicum of decency and humanity would shutdown. Then there is the Chinese government.
This is not just a problem on the mainland. Years ago, I went to Taiwan as part of a delegation to discuss environmental issues among other subjects. I went to “Snake Alley” to show government officials that it was easy to buy bear, tiger, and other prohibited items. When confronted with the evidence, the minister responded that these remedies actually work — a curious response since they are banned internationally. There remains a cultural hold on many Chinese — including educated Chinese — with these traditional medicines. That is why the opposition in China is so encouraging.
Source: NY Times
As an Originalist I am proud that our Framers went past the original constitution and passed the Bill of Rights. The right to arm bears which is included in the Second Amendment will go far to protect our guys from these poachers in Alaska and in the Lower 48. Hawaii wont have this problem.
“i wonder what it is supposed to cure.”
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nothing that can’t be cured by other means….
🙂
just like it is gross the kind of meat i eat ( eat what is available instead of hunting and killing myself), i am sure the practice originated in a way of using all of the dead animal, like our native americans. am i wrong? i wonder what it is supposed to cure.
ideal, yes i am interested in them and i think common sense would say they work. Omega 3 is supposedly one of the easiest ways to improve health. i wonder what book.
woosty,
Obviously there are not enough bear’s to meet the demand of the bile for human consumption. However, I do understand why some only want the real thing. I myself am a bit of a stickler for real eggs and real butter (or as real as i can get).
Bear bile afficionados absolutely deserve the “pus-filled black sludge” that is harvested from these bears whose bodies are forced to grow around the bars that imprison them. I can only hope that ingesting that stinking gangrenous muck hits them disgustingly hard in the pocketbook as well as the gut.
tyson chicken
has found
etc.
From another angle, Stephen Colbert is quite pleased by this development.
Warning; Gross Graphics
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/asian-bear-bile-remedies-barbarism-or-medicine/
‘A healthy bear’s bile is as fluid as water, and ranges in color from bright yellow-orange to green. However, Animals Asia’s vets have described bile leaking from the gallbladders of farmed bears as “black sludge.” Eminent Chinese and Vietnamese pathologists have warned the public not to use bile taken from sick bears.
The active substance in bile (of bear and all other mammals) is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), also known as Ursodiol, which is easily synthesized, and has been available for several decades. It is estimated that 100,000 kilos of synthetic UDCA are already being used each year in China, Japan, and South Korea, and that the total world consumption may double this figure.
Despite the availability and affordability of synthetic UDCA and suitable herbal alternatives, some practitioners obstinately continue to prescribe bear bile, which in turn drives up the market demand, and pressures the Chinese government to continue to allow the practice of bear farming.’
Anything related to Monsanto and the FDA is scary… The number of executives that have jumped back and forth between the two organizations basically tells you that they are one in the same. There are similar companies doing the same.
“I don’t know of a farm that lets them live more than 7 years unless they are studding. The cows become depleted at 4-6 years and then slaughtered. Bison that are raised get the same treatment. Killed at 2-7 years old when their natural life is 25 years.”
Michael…again its a matter of perspective. You view it that any maltreatment of these animals is wrong, I view it as that we are higher up on the food chain and have the right to raise these animals as food, but with that righ comes the responsibility to do it as humanely as possible…I believe the places I source my animal related foods do so humanely.
In regards to the Bear Bile, I simply stated that its no better/worse than what we do with cows (etc) in our large corporate lots…to complain about the bears and not about the other animals is simply looking the other way.
MM,
Are you into functional foods? Fascinating.
My niece’s husband has become smitten by the Omega 3 book I sent them.
Regard me as a potent vector. Hold your breath and run.
See The famous tyson chocken video. Or, better yet, go watch a slaughter at an industrial pig, cow, or chicken farm.
What’s that?
You can’t?
Just because it is against the law to slaughter an animal in public (or in the back of a restaurant- but how fresh!) doesn’t mean the slaughter didn’t happen.
I do not think it is fair to criticize the Chinese on this and their lack of government oversight on it and not also criticize the awfully inhumane, disgusting, and unsanitary ways the incredibly large majority of the meat we eat in this country is obtained.
Our own government and corporate media loves to promote abuses done by the other nations but only want to talk about the latest celebrity gossip rather than hold ourselves to the same standards.
On the other topic. I would not be surprised if many of the Chinese medicines worked better or equal to many of the pills we are gobbling down in this nation. Many of our medicines don’t work, and most of the studies are compromised.
Food is a drug. Is it really that radical to think that a culture that old hadn’t found certain specializations and uses for the foods they eat regularly? Do you ever feel different after eating different foods?
hmmmm..Monsanto food Czar….Monsanto Supreme Court Judge
Good one, Gene H.!
Harvesting of bear bile also happens in the U.S.A. Not the Chinese factory method. Some hunters poach bears, just to take their gall bladders.
Isn’t superstition fun? Profitable, too!
I knew a professor at University of California, Davis, who researched methods for rapidly identifying bear bile.
A defendant who illegally possessed genuine bear bile could be prosecuted.
A defendant who possessed fake bear bile could be prosecuted for fraud.
JC and All others please NOTE.
TRUTH ABOUT MONSANTO AND OUR FOOD AS HIDDEN BY AGRIC. SEC.
http://republicbroadcasting.org/?p=13739
All the man writing to the Sec for Agriculture was to not take away “guard zones” around RoundUP alfalfa. He had the responsibility to chair the FDA committee for detecting and countering plant and animal diseases as it applies to our food supply. He identified the grave problem with a microfungus linked to miscarriaging in first time breed heifers. He had other evidence of the negative effects of RoundUp noted in studies over several years: appearance and overgrowth of aggressive new microorganisms, reduction in production in small cereal grains. etc etc.
It’s all there: There should have been a storm, but after brief media notice it disappeared. Dr Huber who wrote the letter was latee invited to the EU parliament to present his findings re GMO and Roundup. He has 20 years of studiying glyphosat the main ingredient in RoundUp.
Read it if you want to know how you are fed.
He summarized his own opinion by saying he thinks we are at the tipping point as to a viable food chain. Let’s hope we have time.
The facts he reviewed in more scientific tone, and am sure he is not inclined to hyperbole.
If the Chinese had the right to arm bears, this wouldn’t happen.
Michaelb1, February 23, 2012 at 12:36 pm
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yes, we should set all the cows and pigs and chickens free in the forests of …well, the forests. They will be happier there. Until it is time for milking…or wild dogs or BEARS or other predators kill them and all thier offspring.
We are digressed to talking farm animals and practice here…right? I mean the bear thing was so outrageous….
Read the article…and take the damn bears out of the little cages. The article is a proponent of humane and sane land use as well as husbandry.
Roundup is a nasty toxin. Very nasty!…and probably with us to stay given the current political propensity for supporting $$$$$Corporate interests vs. Sane rational sustainable and wholistic minded forces that are likely to not poison everyone …
JC
Am looking for the RoundUP link. i got too many links.
Meanwhile here’s something to throw at those who want scientific proof about antibiotics.
http://puffthemutantdragon.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/politics-vs-science-part-i-the-fda-drops-the-ball/
Relative is always the wiggle room. Dairy cattle only give milk if they are pregnant. The female calf could theoretically be put into service but the males are of no use because they do not grow quickly so you know where they go. There are some rare farms that do not use franken cows so they do grow the bulls. As far as enjoying a full life. I don’t know of a farm that lets them live more than 7 years unless they are studding. The cows become depleted at 4-6 years and then slaughtered. Bison that are raised get the same treatment. Killed at 2-7 years old when their natural life is 25 years. “Slaughter as humanely as possible” I guess it is all in the intent. Upwards of 10% of slaughter misses the mark in controlled environments on the farm, much worse in the slaughter houses. Feedlots only last about 6 months due to the acidosis that will kill them if they stayed longer. Cows typically are fed hay or grass for the first 18 months then on to the feed lots to fatten up. On “humane” farms they stay on grass up to 7 years and fed some grain for a few weeks at the end to reduce the “gaminess” in the taste.
I often talk to people that either grew up on a farm or visited family farms many years ago. Things have changed folks. Memories tend to romanticize. I don’t know of any farm that uses anesthetic for castration or dehorning, debeaking, detoeing, museling, tail docking ( pigs and cows ), branding and teeth clipping
The free range chickens that are pastured ( actually go outside on grass and dirt) still are killed at 2-3 years when the egg production goes down and that is only the females. Males are killed the first day alive. ( half of all hatchlings) The can live to be 25 years old. The ones intended for meat may get to live 18 months. ( 7 weeks for the frankenbirds)
Yep those farm animals have a great life…where do I sign up?
Idealist. I won’t claim to be an authority, just have some experience. I saw a documentary that I highly recommend (can I name names here?) that opened my eyes and caused me to do some research and pay attention to certain things.
When it comes to hormones and anti-biotics I cringe. I can’t say this is based on reading peer reviewed studies, but just think about what they are doing.
Both hormones and anti-biotics are used, not to treat disease as much as to increase output. A little bit of common sense tells us that those hormones and anti-biotics are passed through the animal, into the products they give us, and into our systems… If a cow is artificially ‘fattened’ up by hormones and anti-biotics, why wouldn’t I be artificially ‘fattened’ up by them, among other things?
I don’t know about you, but I prefer not to take hormones or anti-biotics that I don’t absolutely need. I think its unhealthy at best, downright dangerous to the human population at worst.
On top of the health dangers, I see a real humane treatment issue because of lot of the animals that are artificially ‘fattened’ up grow so quickly that their bodies cannot handle the weight. Cows that can’t stand up and chickens who’s bones can’t support their weight. It isn’t right to treat animals in such a manner.
Also, bacterial outbreaks such as E. Coli were practically unheard of prior to feed lots. Now it is unbelievably common and there are strains that are rapidly becoming resistant. Anti-biotic use is a big part of those problems.
Can we really say that things such as Autism and other neurological diseases aren’t linked to the use of hormones and anti-biotics? I don’t think I’ve ever really heard anyone try to connect those, but common sense tells me that it is entirely possible.
Again, I’m not an authority, I just happen to live in the Upper-midwest and my profession allows me to see the inner workings of myriad industries, farming being one of them and my newer personal habits have led me to a desire of wanting to see where what I put in my body actually comes from.
Warning for grass-fed if in fact it is fed RoundUp Ready alfalfa.
An FDA study, and many before , show that RoundUp, causes the minerals in the soil to be fixated (chelated) and unavailable for the plant grown on them. This even effects the amount of small grains produced after two years use of RoundUp. FDA stats.
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Idealist…corporate feed lot animals are fed almost 100% round up ready corn…in fact something like 95% of all corn grown in America is round up ready.
I will have to find out if where I get my meat uses alfalfa to supplement grass and where they source their alfalfa as round up ready is something I try to avoid.
Of course, we can thank Monsanto for round up ready and the US government for allowing it to be used… Corn, Soy, and a host of other crops are being taken over by these GMO’s and eventually will crowd out all other forms and we’ll be stuck with these modified crops which are beginning to show their dangers.
I would like to see your link on Round up.
JC —you’re my authority. How do you feel about hormones (?) increasing milk output of cows? And anti-biotics to increase growth rate and slaughter weight? I’d really like to know cuz you’ve been there.