Russia snares Chinese bear paws smugglers. (photo)

BBC News On Line ^ | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Last Updated: Saturday, 20 March, 2004, 17:02 GMT

Russia snares smuggled bear paws

Bear paw is a delicacy in parts of China

Russian customs officers have arrested a Chinese truck driver they say was trying to smuggle several hundred severed bear paws into China from Siberia.

Guards at Ussuriysk border point were taken aback by the large amount of animal parts found hidden in sacks in the back of the truck, Russian Channel One TV said.

As well as some 800 bear paws and bear pelts, officers found thousands of Siberian weasel and sable skins, grey squirrel and pheasant carcasses.

Bears' paws are among the most expensive items in east Asian cuisine and are much sought after in restaurants in China.

"If you add it up, it makes terrible figures: to get this cargo together, poachers in the Far Eastern taiga shot 200 Himalayan bears and thousands of other animals," the TV correspondent said.

There was a brisk trade in the illegal smuggling of animal parts across the Russia-China border, the TV said. "Maritime Territory customs come across this type of contraband regularly."

Last year, customs officials in Russia prevented an attempt to transport live bear cubs from the country's Far East to China.

The latest illegal cargo is to be kept refrigerated at a customs warehouse until environmental protection experts inspect it, and ascertain how many animals were shot.

[yankeedame]

Just a little something to bring up next time you need to keep up your end of the conversation.

[Bismarck]

Well, these Chinese are pretty disgusting. Sorry, but bears aren't cows or chicken. I am in no way connected to PETA, but this Chinese tradition has to stop. Russian mafiosi and Chinese smugglers should be severly punished. What about severing their hands and feeding them to the bears?

[evolved_rage]

Meanwhile, PETA is in a snit over dairy cows being portrayed as happy in ads in Kalifornia.

[vavavah]

PETA doesn't have the Balls to intervene on these people.....they know they wold lock there sorry asses up and or blow them away....

[vavavah]

Ya know I guess it depends on what they do with the rest of the animal..provide free prosthesis?Or use it for food and fur....now if they just trash it that is a Bear of a different color.

[dawn53]

We spent a few months in China in the late 90's. Visited the open markets quite often, and on more than one occasion saw bear paws and tiger paws.

Of course, in the same market you could buy butchered dogs, cats, rats, snakes, etc.

Talk about culture shock!

[spetznaz]

Bear paw is a delicacy in parts of China

Can someone tell me what is not considered a delicacy in parts of China? I mean, i've heard the whole gamut from tiger bones to monkey spleen! What in goodness name is not either a delicacy or a medicine in China?

Ay caramba!

Seriously speaking, if i had a kid i would not let him or her wander around in China unattended! Who knows ...maybe 'child' is a delicacy as well!

[CrucifiedTruth]

Oh... I just barfed... when I saw this article and pictures.

yankeedame, I just wrote almost exactly what you did and then saw your post. There is hardly a disgusting thing or a beutiful creature that is not a delicacy in China. I just hope (barely) that Siberia survives the appetite of 1.5 billion lovers of fine cuisine.

[CrucifiedTruth]

Ya know I guess it depends on what they do with the rest of the animal

After seeing this? Excuse me, it looks like you have really hard time living with yourself.

[RussianConservative]

Well dead Polynisian no longer delicacy...ever since ancient China clear out subhumans of Taiwan and eats them all.

[Supterry]

I am from china.
Actully common chinese people never eat these kinda disgusting thing. Beef/Pork/Duck/Chicken/Fish/Rice are all we have for daily meals.
Bear paws/tiger paws/Monkey brain are for thoese millionaries and only eaten/found in the southern part of china.