AHL assists in bear poaching investigation
Emily Brouwer
Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
AHL Newsletter 2024; 28(4):19.
In Ontario, it is illegal to possess the gall bladder of a black bear that has been separated from the carcass, including from bears that have been otherwise lawfully harvested. The demand for bear gall bladders is due to perceived medicinal benefits and use in traditional Chinese medicine, though the substantial demand is often linked to poaching, international smuggling, black market trade, and organized crime.
In late 2023, pathologists from the Animal Health Laboratory and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative assisted in an investigation surrounding the possession of three dried gall bladders from American Black Bears that were discovered in the possession of an angler in Gravenhurst, Ontario. The defendant claimed that the gall bladders were from pigs, and feigned ignorance to the laws surrounding the possession of gall bladders from bears despite being a licensed hunter.
The gall bladders were DNA tested at Trent University and confirmed to be from American black bears. Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) pathologist Dr. Brian Stevens and AHL pathologist Dr. Emily Brouwer were able to assist the investigation with photographs of bear and porcine livers and gall bladders (Figs. 1 & 2), literature review, and professional opinion.
The combined efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources Intelligence and Investigations Services Unit, the Forensic Center at Trent University, and veterinary pathologists at CWHC and AHL led to a rare conviction under section 50 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, ultimately leading to $6500 in fines. AHL
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/980666
Figure 1. Ursine (bear) gall bladder.
Figure 2. Porcine (pig) gall bladder.