New partnership to work against the bear bile trade

04/03/2009 15:13:51 WSPA joins forces with Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit

March 2009. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has recently become a friend of Operation Charm - a partnership initiative of the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit and currently the only ongoing police initiative against the illegal trade in endangered species in the UK.

Work together on the bear bile trade
WSPA UK Programmes Manager Nicola Pulman said: "WSPA is delighted to have joined this unique operation. This partnership will allow Operation Charm and WSPA to share vital information on the bear bile trade and endangered animals parts."

The charity's international perspective on industrialised bear farming should prove useful to the taskforce, having worked on the issue since the charity's End Bear Farming campaign began in the early 90's.

WSPA continues to highlight the suffering of bears on industrial bear farms using innovative and ground-breaking tactics.

Bear protein detection kits
In 2007, WSPA launched bear protein detection kits which work similarly to home pregnancy testing kits and are designed to be used in the field by police and customs officers. The Wildlife Crime Unit completed a trial of WSPA's bear kits and is keen to use them in their crackdown on the illegal Traditional Asian Medicine trade in the capital.

Operation Charm does not work against the Traditional Asian Medicine trade but exists to stop the illegal trade in London in products made from endangered species. Internationally, WSPA and Operation Charm - in the UK - work with practitioners on animal-friendly, legal alternatives.

Illegal UK trade
Head of the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit, Andy Fisher said: "The illegal UK trade in endangered species is responsible for the killing of endangered wildlife all over the world. It threatens endangered species and makes profits for criminals and that's why it has to be stopped. WSPA's support will help us to do this."

 

One of the most upsetting animal cruelty cases
Nicola Pulman added: "Bear farming is one of the most upsetting animal cruelty cases I have come across in my career. The bears are kept in cages the size of a telephone box so that bile can be extracted from their gall bladders. This inhumane practice causes severe pain and trauma to the bears. Given that there are good herbal and synthetic alternatives to bear bile, this is not only cruel but also unnecessary and must end. Operation Charm is key to ending the illegal trade in bear bile in the UK".