The trafficking involved black bear paws and gall bladders, according a news release from the provincial government. Those items are commonly sold on the black market and are often used in traditional Asian medicine.

The investigation began in March 2022 after the general investigations section of the Ministry of Community Safety (previously called corrections, policing and public safety) received a tip about suspected trafficking of bear gall bladders.

Conservation officers launched their investigation in Maidstone, about 50 kilometres east of Lloydminster, before expanding into British Columbia.

top 8 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 11 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Clearly not in the US.

Down here we have the right to bear arms.

... I'll see myself out...

[–] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 months ago

I'll open the door with my bear hands.

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 months ago

[–] nyan@lemmy.cafe 4 points 3 months ago

The right to arm bears might be more pertinent in this case. They become much less attractive targets if they're shooting back.

(Seriously, though, how much longer do we have to wait before we can employ cloning/vat-grown tissue strategies to feed the insatiable demand of traditional Asian "medicine" markets, and stop killing animals for ineffective superstitious bullshit?)

[–] Big_Boss_77@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 3 months ago

She'd have been nominated to head the department of health and human services...

[–] swordgeek@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Fucking Chinese "medicine."

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It's not Chinese medicine that causes hundreds of eagles to be poached every year. And it's sure as fuck not Chinese medicine that causes the chicken to be the most abused animal on the planet. Remove the plank from thine own eye. If you treat the bodies of vulnerable individuals as a commodity to be bought and sold, you participate in exactly the thing you condemn.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

12k seems light. Should have taken her gall bladder and sold it as Asian medicine.