Bile Bear
Bile bears or battery bears are Asian black bears (Ursus thibetanus) kept in captivity to harvest bile, a digestive juice produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. When extracted, the bears’ bile is a valuable commodity for sale as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. The bears are also known as moon bears because of the cream-colored crescent moon shape on their chest. The Asian black bear, the one most commonly used on bear farms, is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals. Bear bile collection occurs in China, South Korea, Laos and Vietnam.
Read more about Bile Bear: History, Living Conditions, Bile Trade, Rescue Centers, Alternatives, Businesses
Famous quotes containing the words bile and/or bear:
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—Artemus Ward (1834–1867)
“On the whole, yes, I would rather be the Chief Justice of the United States, and a quieter life than that which becomes at the White House is more in keeping with the temperament, but when taken into consideration that I go into history as President, and my children and my children’s children are the better placed on account of that fact, I am inclined to think that to be President well compensates one for all the trials and criticisms he has to bear and undergo.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)