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From Cage to Consumer The global trade in bear parts from China to Asia and beyond A new report by the World Society for the Protection of Animals uncovers evidence of the ongoing illegal trade in bear bile  products. From Cage to Consumer summarizes the results of an extensive undercover investigation conducted in 2006 and 2007. Bear gall bladders and bear bile products were found on sale in Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM) shops across the United States as well as in cities in Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. WSPA conducted the survey of TAM shops as part of our continuing campaign to end bear farming. With more than 14,000 bears suffering on bear farms in Asia so that their bile can be extracted for use in traditional remedies and non-essential products such as shampoo and wine, WSPA will use this data to help us end bear farming.
Results of global investigation:
% of stores surveyed selling bear bile:
| Japan | 75% | | Taiwan | 42% | | Korea | 33% | | Singapore | 22% | | United States | 15% | | Canada | 14% | | New Zealand | 9% | | Australia | 4% |
Results of U.S. investigation:
% of stores surveyed selling bear bile:| Boston | 50% | | Chicago | 27% | | New York City | 20% | | Seattle | 14% | | San Francisco | 12% | | Los Angeles | 4% | | Washington D.C. | 0% | | Portland, OR | 0% |
Highlights from the U.S. investigation: - Illegal bear products were found for sale in 6 of 8 U.S. cities examined: Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
- Intact gall bladders made up 63% of all bear products found for sale in the U.S.
- $2800 was the price tag on a gall from a wild U.S. bear offered for sale in Los Angeles.
- A Boston shop offered 30 galls for sale.
- Bile from wild bears is considered to be more potent and therefore demands a higher price.
From Cage to Consumer (2007) – download the full report in PDF >> Download the US supplemental report (PDF) >>
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