Bear Bile and the Coronavirus by Paige Mongon

Amidst the devastating news of the coronavirus, many are finding solace in the idea that the Earth has been granted a much-needed reprieve. Emissions all over the world have significantly decreased, waters have begun to run clearer, and wildlife has been returning to areas they had previously abandoned. Yet this “good fortune” has not been extended to all wildlife. Lost amidst rising death tolls and news headlines cheerily touting “clearer water in the Venice Canals” or “lower emissions over China” are articles which detail the inhumanity of bear bile farms- bear bile farms which have been capitalizing off of the Chinese government’s decision to release a list of “cures” for the coronavirus.
The industry for bear bile is one which is rather ancient- bear bile has been incorporated into traditional Chinese medicines since the 8th century, yet the farming of bears for their bile didn’t begin until the 1980s. The only way to obtain this bear bile, however, is through an extremely invasive, exceedingly painful procedure, where the bear is pinned down whilst a catheter (or syringe or pipe) is inserted into the animal’s gallbladder for the extraction of the bile. While the bears are generally sedated whilst their bile is extracted, mortal infections and wounds often bring about great suffering before ultimately leading to the bear’s untimely demise. Infections, diseases, malignant tumors- all are pervasive problems on such farms, where bears suffer ill-treatment to begin with. Neglect is all too common, leading to the dehydration and starvation of the animals, and the bears are all-too-often confined to cages which barely admit them to stand up. Unable to turn around, prevented from all but the most minute of movements, bears may spend up to 35 years in such captivity- starving, sickly, and helpless, at the mercy of their farmer’s whims. Not only do they have to endure objects being shoved into their abdomen whilst their bile is extracted, but they suffer too in the dingy cages they call “home”, from a lack of a proper diet, from insidious infections and untreated conditions. Their welfare is never once viewed as a priority- once a bear is on such a farm, they cease to become a bear but rather a product; something which may be sold to reap a profit. One of the most common bears on these farms is the Asiatic black bear, which has been protected from international commercial trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Yet Asiatic bear bile, along with the bile of countless other bear species, has still been persistently trafficked across borders to be incorporated into certain medicines- one of which has recently been recommended by the Chinese government as a cure for the coronavirus. 

Worldwide, death tolls have soared due to COVID-19; should a “cure” be announced, it would be to the great joy of the peoples. So when China released a list of “cures” for the coronavirus on May 4, they were really suggesting to the public medicines which could potentially counteract the symptoms of the virus. Among the medicines listed was one by the name of Tan Re Qing which is a medicine containing, amidst other ingredients, bear bile. It was the list of “cures”, and this medicine in particular, which sparked concern among those whom are wildlife advocates- now, not only was this medicine containing bear bile available, but it had now become endorsed by the government. In great distress, people have been known to act irrationally at best- already, during this devastating pandemic, people have begun hoarding supplies such as toilet paper and non-perishable foods. Imagine, in the middle of this great panic, being given a list of cures to combat this pandemic by the government- such a list would compel many to purchase the listed medicines, one of which contains bear bile, thus bolstering the need for the bile in the first place. The whole situation, however, is fraught with contradictions and untruths. In the first place, according to a professor at the University of Minnesota by the name of Clifford Steer, bear bile has not been proven a suitable treatment against the virus- there has been a distinctive lack of evidence to prove the effectiveness of bear bile. While ursodeoxycholic acid (the acid found in bear bile) may help alleviate symptoms, it is by no means a “cure”, nor one which should be recommended to combat the pandemic at all. Furthermore, while China has banned the importation and usage of wild bears to obtain bile, promoting a medicine which contains that self-same bile is only encouraging the illegal farming of mistreated bears.

Currently, a majority of attention has been drawn to bears who are abused in the name of medicinal cures, but other animals have suffered similar torments. Some Asian medicines have been known to incorporate rhino horn, or tiger bones into their medicines, further endangering both species which have been the targets of poaching. Yet people are willing to overlook such unethical processes, such inhumane treatment of innocent creatures, so long as the medicine is effective.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/chinese-government-promotes-bear-bile-as-coronavirus-covid19-treatment/

The inhumane living conditions of bile bears