Culture

People who believe in chinese medicine think that chinese medicine is way more effective then modern medicine and this belief have made a huge effect on the Sun bear population because Sun bear bile and gallbladder is one of the most important ingredient that is use in chinese medicine. Gall bladder and Bile are use in Chinese medicine to heal these disease hemorrhoids, hangovers, cold and cancer. Over these years scientist have proof that Chinese medicine also help to cure different disease but just that it is not as fast and effictive as modern medicine. According to this scientific theory people should start using mordern medicine instead of Chinese medicine. If people start to follow this theory then the Sun Bear population will slowly increase because the biggest threat to Sun bear is hunting for their body part.

As this culture spread all over some country in Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Loas, Vietnam etc) more people start to get inspire and believe in the ability of chinese medicine to cure different illness. The increase of sun bear bile needed for the black market have make people who live by the forest consider the idea of hunting for Sun bear body part as a daily job. What is even more surprising is that the people start to open bear farm to gain the profit from the black market. The total amount of Sun Bear that have been kept inside the cages in the Bear farm that is located in China are 10,000. Every day these bear take trun getting milk for their bile through catheters (It is a flexible tube that can be put inside the body.) to the Gall bladder. On an estimate half of the amount of Sun bear can produce about 10,000kg of bile per day. The approximate price for farm bear bile are $30-$53 per gram but if the bile is from the Sun Bear that live inside the forest the price is six time the price of the farm bear. In Japan people pay $2,000-$10,000 to the hunter for a whole Gall bladder but the price for the Sun bear body part is not consident because in China some Gall bladder was only $500.

Chinese Medicine Made from Sun Bear

Chinese Medicine Made from Sun Bear. Digital image. Eco Warriors Undercover: Bear Bile Farming. WildlifeDirect, 10 Feb. 2009. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/2009/02/10/eco-warriors-undercover-bear-bile-farming/>.

Sample of Sun Bear Bile

Sample of Bile. Digital image. Eco Warriors Undercover: Bear Bile Farming. WildlifeDirect, 10 Feb. 2009. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/2009/02/10/eco-warriors-undercover-bear-bile-farming/>.

Bear Bile extracted tecnique:

Latex catheter
Metal jacket
Metal catheter
“Free-dripping" technique
"Fake-free dripping" technique

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Food

Chinese Traditional Food also have a type of soup call Bear paws soup, obviously the main ingrdient is bear paws. As the population of people who enjoy eating Bear paws soup increase the more amount of paws that have been cut off the sun bear. This have cause a huge problem because the hunter will start to hunt for more Sun bear to cut their paws and sell it to different inappropriate restaurant for money. Each bear paws cuisine cost over $1,000 or exactly $1,000 and if you want to eat it you have to order it in advance so the restaurant can as the hunter to go and hunt for it. Hunting for Sun bear body part to use in food, traditional medicine and deforestration have reduce the population by 30 percent in the past 30 years ("IUCN's....Endangered Species").

Steamed & Braised Bear's Paw

Steamed & Braised Bear's Paw. Digital image. Famous Dishes in Shanghai. @, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. <http://www.shme.com/dish/dish150.htm>.

Bear's Paw Soup

Black bear's paw. Digital image. A Black Bear Paw I Ate in China. My In-laws Were so Proud to Serve This, but It Tasted Absolutely Horrible. Pikdit, 2013. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. <http://pikdit.com/i/a-black-bear-paw-i-ate-in-china-my-in-laws-were-so-proud-to-serve-this-but-it-tasted-absolutely-horrible/>.

Science Discussion

The Scientific solution that scientist have come up with really help to protect the species and increase the Sun bear population. Below is the list of the possitive outcome of building a reserve.

The idea of building a reserve really help because it prevent hunter from coming in and hunt for the animal since their is a strong fence around the place where the Sun bear live.
The seond thing is that it help to prevent the animal from getting into different trap that have been set by the hunter.
The third thing is that the reserve can help to increase the population of Sun bear and especially safe their life from being kill.
SInce there is a reserve it is going to be harder for the hunter to hunt for Sun bear body part which mean that the price of the Sun bear body part will also become more expensive. If the price become more expensive than there will be less people who is going to buy the body part for different use since they can't afford it anymore. This show that there will be less amount of Sun bear body being sold in the market. Hopfully if the people who can't afford to buy it anymore will stop eating it and let this family Culture fade away.

Overall, I think that building the reserve will reduce the amount of Sun bear that have been kill and hunt everyday for their body part. Even though Sun bears are living inside the reserve they still feel like they are living inside the forest because the scientist have done an experiment and estimate how many place Sun bears need, the enviroment around them and where they go and find food especially what food they eat. If you want to know more in detail about the scientific solution behind this conservation you should read the page that say "Scientific Solution".