Bears

The exploitation of bears across various industries represents a significant intersection of animal welfare and conservation crises, often characterised by extreme physical and psychological suffering. In the bear bile industry, thousands of bears (primarily Asiatic black bears) are confined in "crush cages" for decades to undergo invasive bile extraction via permanent catheters or open wounds, a practice that peer-reviewed research identifies as causing chronic infection, organ failure, and severe stereotypic behaviours (Dutton et al., 2011). In zoological and entertainment settings, bears frequently suffer from "zoochosis" due to inadequate environmental enrichment and spatial constraints that fail to accommodate their vast natural home ranges, which can span hundreds of square kilometres. Furthermore, trophy hunting and poaching disrupt complex social structures and maternal bonds; for instance, the loss of an apex predator or a mother bear can lead to increased cub mortality and destabilise local ecosystems (Bischof et al., 2017). Together, these practices highlight a systemic failure to recognise the sentience and ecological importance of ursids, prioritising commercial and recreational interests over the fundamental biological needs of the species.