Posted on July, 27 1999

Gland, SWITZERLAND - The world's bears are under increasing threat according to a new report issued today by WWF, the conservation organization. Almost all bear species have undergone dramatic population declines in recent decades mainly due to trade in their body parts, habitat destruction and human / animal conflict. (1)

According to WWF's first-ever global review of the world's bears - Wanted Alive! Bears in the Wild - habitat loss and hunting are having devastating effects on Asia's sloth, sun (honey) and black bears. It is possible that the sun bear is extinct in India and its presence in Bangladesh is doubtful. As numbers of Asian bears decline, increasing numbers of North and South American bears are being hunted to satisfy worldwide demand for bear parts.

South and Central American bears have also been seriously affected by logging, cattle ranching, and clearance for poppy and coca fields that feed the lucrative drug trade. The Mexican grizzly is now extinct while the spectacled bear struggles for survival mainly in the remaining montane forest along the spine of Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru. In Europe, human / animal conflicts are causing serious problems for bears. Spain and Greece's bears are unlikely to survive unless strict protection programmes are put in place. The authors of the report warn that France's few remaining bears are "doomed to extinction" unless drastic measures are taken soon.

However, lack of censuses and field studies usually make it very difficult to establish exact numbers of bears in the wild. "We know what is in the market place, but we don't know what is in the forest," said Elizabeth Kemf, Species Information Manager at WWF-International, one of the co-authors of the report. "The markets in Asia are supplied with bear parts, especially in South-East Asia. While bear numbers in Asia slide downward, animals in the Americas are being increasingly targeted by traders." (2)

Bear parts are often used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Bile from the bear gall-bladder is an ancient and treasured ingredient in TCM. It is used to treat a range of illnesses including serious liver diseases, heart disease and hemorrhoids. The paws and other parts are eaten as a delicacy and are also thought to have health-giving properties.

The only bear population that still lives throughout its original range, and whose population in some areas has actually doubled is the polar bear. However, it faces new threats in the form of chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and the effects of global warming on its marine coastal habitat.

"Humans, and the impacts of their activities, will determine the future of bears," said Dr. Christopher Servheen, Co-Chair of the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group and co-author of the report. "A successful bear conservation effort must balance the needs of bears with the needs of people."

The authors of the report emphasize that there is some good news for bears. They point out that in Austria, a six-year plan of bear reintroduction has resulted in an increase in bears. Most remarkable is a major shift in attitude by Austrian farmers and the general public to protect rather than persecute bears.

For further information:

Elizabeth Kemf: tel: +41 22 364 9424 ; e-mail: ekemf@wwfnet.org

Olivier van Bogaert or Kyla Evans: tel: +41 22 364 95 54 or +41 22 364 9550 ; e-mail: ovanbogaert@wwfnet.org ; kevans@wwfnet.org

NOTES

1. All bears appear in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN - The World Conservation Union, where the giant panda is listed as endangered.

2. Earlier this year, in Virginia, US law enforcement officials seized 300 bear gall bladders, obtained through the illegal killing of bears.