Bile bear

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bile-bear

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the conservation status?Vulnerable (IUCN Red List) for both Asiatic black bear and Sun bear
2. What is the estimated number farmed?Approximately 12,000 bears
3. What is bile bear farming?Bile bear farming is when people keep bears in very small cages to take a liquid from their bodies that is used in some traditional medicines.
4. Why are bears kept in tiny cages for bile?The cages, called crush cages, stop bears from moving or grooming, and the cages make it easier for workers to extract bile from the bears.

Fistula: An abnormal passage or duct that forms between two organs or between an organ and the exterior of the body.
Muscle Atrophy: A decrease in the size of muscle tissue, often resulting from prolonged immobility or disease.
Synthetic Bile Acids: Man-made versions of bile acids that can be used as alternatives in medicine.
Commodification: The process of treating something as an article that can be bought and sold, often disregarding its intrinsic value.