Warning: Graphic images follow. May not be suitable for workplace environments.
On Monday, police officers in Russia were investigating a small lumber company when they made a shocking discovery. 37 unmarked bags, which appeared to be stuffed with sawdust, were confiscated. What was found inside, however, shocked everyone present.
Inside the bags, several hundred severed bear parts were found, reports Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). Reportedly, the hunks were intended to be smuggled abroad to China or other regions in Asia where there is a high demand for wildlife parts.
All in all, 527 bear feet, a bear muzzle, gallbladders and three musk deer glands were found inside the bags. It is not uncommon for these items to be used in traditional Chinese medicine or to be made into bear paw soup, which is considered to be a delicacy, reports The Dodo.
Bears are common victims of the illegal wildlife trade; 1,000 live in illegal bile farms in Vietnam alone, reports Animals Asia. And, as TrueActivist reported in the past, the conditions they’re kept in are often horrendous.
In a statement, MIA informed the public that Russian police are continuing to investigate the mutilated bear parts:
“The police are establishing all circumstances of the affair, the damage caused to the state interests protected by law, and persons implicated in illegal poaching and smuggling of [wildlife] derivatives,” the statement read.
It is unlikely that the bears’ histories will ever be determined, but at least Russian police were able to confiscate the 37 bags and put a dent in the illegal market. Hopefully, these images inspire activists to get involved in shutting down the illegal wildlife trade.
If you’d like to help, you can make a donation to Animals Asia, which is fighting to protect bears from the cruel industry.
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