South China Morning Post - letter on bear bile from Harriet Wen Tung

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

Below is a letter to the editor published in the South China Morning

Post today (13 October). The writer, Harriet Wen Tung, is the

sister-in-law of the former Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chee Hua.

Best,

Angela

--

 

Angela Leary

Media Manager

Animals Asia Foundation

2/F, Room 04-05,

Nam Wo Hong Building

148 Wing Lok Street,

Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2791 2225

http://www.animalsasia.org/

 

*

Why torture bears to extract a product that is tainted?*

 

In light of the tainted milk scandal unfolding on the mainland, the

authorities should also look closely at other consumer products that are

tainted by their extraction methods.

 

I have been following the plight of the moon bears on the mainland.

 

These bears are kept alive in captivity while their bile is extracted

causing them great pain and distress.

 

There are many graphic photos that show the cruel extraction methods.

 

The prized ingredient in bear bile is ursodeoxycholic acid, which is

used by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for a myriad of

complaints from hangovers to haemorrhoids.

 

However, this acid can easily be synthesised under laboratory conditions

creating a product that will be pure, clean and reliable.

 

Bear bile extracted from farmed bears contains faeces, urine, blood and pus.

 

Moreover, bears tapped for their bile develop liver cancers and diseased

gall bladders at a very early age and, as a consequence, they produce

unhealthy-looking bile.

 

Common sense would dictate that a healthy product cannot be obtained

from diseased animals.

 

Moreover, the contaminants in the bile cannot be removed by the present

process of baking this bile into a powder which is not refined.

 

I would urge the mainland authorities to stop the use of contaminated

bear bile.

 

They should outlaw this unnecessary, cruelly obtained product which

growing numbers of medical experts deem unfit for human consumption.

 

*Harriet Wen Tung, The Peak*