22 Asiatic black bears had spent their entire lives locked in small metal cages at a South Korean breeding farm. In this horrific place, not only were they prisoners, but their gallbladders and bile were harvested and marketed as cures for sore throats, cancer, and more recently, as a coronavirus treatment. “They lived in the […]
Tag: Black Bears
James Cromwell is Helping Build a Sanctuary to Finally End Bear Bile Farming in Vietnam
The actor and long-time activist is working with Animals Asia to raise awareness about the new sanctuary and demand an end to bear bile farms. The new sanctuary is being built to comfortably hold and care for the last Asiatic black bears and sun bears that are in bear bile farms across the country. Animals […]
A Connecticut bear’s death underscores the urgent need to prevent human-wildlife conflicts
The fatal shooting on May 12 of a mother black bear in Newtown, Connecticut, leaving two cubs orphaned, has understandably sparked widespread outrage and grief. Local residents were familiar with the bear; they knew her as “Bobbi” and have launched Facebook pages in her honor. With her death, the two cubs—who were born in early […]
‘I saw a big set of white teeth coming towards me’: the people who survived terrifying wild animal attacks
Although, mercifully, still rare, there are signs that wild animal attacks on humans are increasing. Research from the scientific journal Nature found that, as our urban areas further expand into the territories of carnivorous animals, attacks on pets, livestock and sometimes humans have been on the rise. In Kashmir, local wildlife departments have been reporting […]
When grizzly bears and mountain goats go to battle
It’s stating the obvious to point out that the grizzly bear is a formidable beast. Even your average wolf pack, more often than not, thinks twice before engaging one of these big, unruly “silvertips.” And, while in most parts of the continent the bulk of the grizzly’s fare is vegetative, it can be an effective […]
How wildlife crossings in Canada are inspiring safer roads for global species
There once was a stretch of Trans-Canada highway so perilous it was known as “The Meat Maker.” The then-infamous section of road that transects Banff National Park, a breathtaking expanse of mountainous terrain and glacial lakes in the Canadian Rockies, averaged about 100 elk-vehicle collisions each year. In the early 1980s, a simple highway expansion […]
Victory! After public outcry, there will be no spring bear hunt in Washington
Today, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to set aside the 2022 spring bear hunt! The 4-4 vote means that mother bears and their dependent cubs will be protected from trophy hunting at a time when they are most vulnerable. Bears need time to pack on weight and raise their newborn cubs after winter […]
Americans love black bears—so why do cruel trophy hunts keep happening?
This time of year is a special moment in the lives of black bears. After consuming about 20,000 calories and gaining three to five pounds every day during the late summer and early fall, black bears head to their winter dens. Because bears hibernate in their dens for three to six months (depending on latitude) […]