It's hard to look... but animals need us to

Thanks to Bryan Christy and photographer Mark Leong of National Geographic magazine for an unblinking look at "Asia's Wildlife Trade" in the January 2010 issue. The caption for the above photo reads: "At a farm in Vietnam, bile is pumped from a sedated Asiatic black bear, violating national law. Thousands of wild bears have been captured to supply this traditional medicine."

The U.S. Humane Society provides extensive background on the specific issue of bears, animal trafficking (bears in the U.S. are being hunted to supply body parts to China and other countries in Asia), and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

The article in National Geographic, however, looks at animal trafficking with a wide-angle lens, as promised in its subtitle: "Insatiable demand for traditional medicines, exotic pets, and culinary delicacies drives a multibillion dollar business--legal and illegal--that is emptying forests, fields, and seas."

For more information, and to support organizations hard at work in this area:

TRAFFIC-The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network

The U.S. Humane Society (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI)

Photo: Mark Leong