A survey of 152 traditional medicine practitioners in Vietnam resulted in their acknowledgment of the dangers of using bear bile. Practitioners who took the survey admitted they knew of four cases of bear bile poisoning which resulted in death, and three others who were also injured by bear bile, but did not die.

Doctor Nguyen Xuan Huong, who is chairman of the Traditional Medicine Association of Vietnam has worked with 10 patients suffering from bear bile poisoning, “In each of these 10 cases, all had damage to the liver and in most cases, the liver was almost gone – the part that was left was swollen, necrotic and hard.” (Source: Animals Asia) He also said bear bile causes kidney damage, and blood in the urine.

Bear bile is extracted in a manner which requires bears to be kept in small cages year round, and drained of their bile in a very painful manner, much like torturing them. There are about 4,000 bears in Vietnam used for bile collection, according to Animals Asia. In China there may be 9,000 according to the World League for the Protection of Animals.

Also, some bears are hunted and killed for only the gall bladder. The irrational beliefs surrounding bear bile have raised prices to absurd levels, “In 1970 one kilo of bear gall bladder cost around S$240, but by 1990 the price had risen to between S$3,610 and S$6,018 per kilo. Recent market price with legal certification has risen to between S$36,100 and S$60,180 per kilogramme (our experience in legal market of Hong Kong) (15).” (Source: sciencebasedmedicine.org)

So bears are dying and undergoing great suffering for a substance which actually can harm people, and even cause death. The founder of Animals Asia, Jill Robinson said, “Korean tourists are lining up to visit bear farms in Vietnam on organised bus tours, many leaving with vials of fresh bear bile as a hangover cure – and bear bile is sold on the black market in Chinatowns around the world. The longer it takes the authorities to act, the more people will fall ill and possibly die.” (Source: Animals Asia)

To people outside of Asia, this news may seem a little disconnected from their everyday reality, but the demand for bear bile is strong enough to have caused poaching of bears in Oregon. “We estimate that if just 1 percent of China’s population could afford to buy a bear gallbladder, it would wipe out the entire U.S. (bear) population,” said Ed Espinoza, who works in a wildlife crime lab fighting illegal animal trafficking. (Source: High Country News)

So what can you do? Do not ever purchase any products containing bear bile. Share this information with your family, relatives and friends. You can also donate to Animals Asia, or start your own blog or charity. Inform yourself about the dangers of using products from traditional medicine, especially those products containing animal parts.

Adapted from an article by Jake R.

A hissing cat sounds like a radiator on overload. He may seem almost comical to you, with that usually serene feline face contorted into an open-mouthed sneer as his ears flatten, back arches and tail fluffs out in a poufy plume. The hissing sound and posture is far from funny to your cat, though, because a cat that hisses is in defensive mode.

His sizzling vocalizations warn you to stay clear, to step away from him, or those huffing, snake-like sounds will lead to something more serious. What turns a cat’s purring, contented self into a reptile imitator, bristling with emotion?

Here’s our take on hissing:

Hissing as Warning

Cats hiss to let you know something has made them unhappy. Your reaction may be to approach or reprove the cat, but his hissing action should override your impulse. That hissing sound is telling you that if you do not back up, Kitty’s upset mood will turn to clawing or fighting.

If your cat is hissing, he may be frightened, and is speaking up to defend himself against whatever is causing his fear. Or he may be serving notice that he is the top dog (or cat, rather) and whoever is in his path must respect the boundaries he is establishing. Unneutered male cats on the verge of a fight will hiss loudly, communicating displeasure at each other’s presence.

That Snakelike Sound

A hissing cat does sound like a snake. Some experts in feline behavior believe that cats actually developed this habit by imitating snakes. Mimicking another species is a survival tactic among animals.

A snake’s deadly, distinctive noise gets hair-raising notice from most species, from humans to horses and everything in between. In borrowing from the snake’s vocal repertoire, cats send signals of their own mixed emotions: They are scared, but ready to attack potential foes. Instinctive feline hissing illustrates the cat’s version of the sports maxim that the best offence is a good defence. A cat on defence — whether a mum cat defending her litter from unwelcome attention or a resident cat bravely confronting a new vacuum cleaner — is a tangle of taut nerves. Determination edges fear to the sidelines in hopes that a stream of hissing will be enough of a weapon to stay safe.

What Prompts the Hissing

Even the mellowest tabby will react to a new arrival on the scene. A new cat, dog or other animal companions will leave your resident cat feeling threatened. He fears this newcomer will steal all the food, toys and affection or maybe start a fight — so your cat gets ready to rumble. Hissing tells the new arrival to “back off; do not get too close just yet.”

A cat may also hiss at an unfamiliar human guest in your home; besides being a stranger, perhaps the person carries her own companions’ scents. Your cat does not know them, and hisses to advertise that he is not eager to meet them, either.

New experiences can stress a cat, prompting a bout of hissing. Spend a short time at an animal shelter while newly arrived cats are being photographed, processed and examined, and you will think you have landed in a snake-charmer’s living room. Those cats are hissing to communicate fear, confusion, unhappiness and readiness to lash out if they have to.

Coping with the Hissy Fit

Give your hissing cat a chance to calm down. If he is being introduced to a new feline or canine roommate, supervise the interactions, always keeping them safely apart till your distressed cat adjusts to this new reality. If a strange human has triggered the hissing, let your cat sniff an object, such as a sock or washcloth, that the person has handled to become familiar with her scent. If you can, ignore the hissing instead of yelling or staring down your cat. Just let time and your ready affection turn off the hissing machine.

Selected and adapted from Animal Planet