Tag: bears

The cruelty of bear bile farming: a persistent horror and the fight to end it

Bear bile farming represents one of the most egregious forms of animal exploitation still practiced today, primarily in parts of Asia. Thousands of bears, predominantly Asiatic Black Bears [Ursus thibetanus] (also known as Moon Bears), Sun Bears [Helarctos malayanus], and Brown Bears [Ursus arctos], are confined in tiny cages and subjected to invasive procedures to extract bile from their gallbladders. This bile is used in traditional medicine to treat ailments like liver disease, fever, and inflammation, despite the availability of effective synthetic and herbal alternatives. The practice, which began in the 1980s as a supposed conservation measure to reduce poaching … Continue

Bears of the world: An overview of the Ursidae family

The Ursidae family, commonly known as bears, comprises a small but iconic group of carnivoran mammals within the order Carnivora. These animals are classified as caniforms (dog-like carnivorans) and are closely related to pinnipeds (seals and walruses) among living groups. Although the fossil record shows far greater diversity—with over 100 extinct species across various subfamilies—only eight species survive today, spread across three subfamilies: Ailuropodinae, Tremarctinae, and Ursinae.

A large American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) sits upright in a relaxed, almost human-like posture on a patch of dry, earthy ground scattered with patches of green vegetation. Its thick, glossy black fur Continue