Abstract
Background
The consumption of bear gallbladders and bear bile in Southeast Asia is a persistent threat to bear populations. As part of a larger effort to understand the characteristics of bear part consumption in Cambodia, we uncovered a consumer base of women seeking treatment for post-partum and uterine ailments.
Methods
To better understand this aspect of consumption, we interviewed 122 women in seven different provinces in Cambodia, probing into the motivations and influences for using bear bile, as well as what types of ailments Cambodian women use it for.
Results
We found that it is generally used by young or expecting mothers, and for such issues as post-partum “fatigue” (toas in Khmer), which could encompass post-partum depression. A desire to be supported by kin networks seems to facilitate the continued use of bear gallbladder and bile for these purposes.
Conclusions
We suggest that efforts to reduce consumption should focus on encouraging older kin to change their means of support to Western/biomedical and by extension non-wildlife alternatives.
The consumption of bear gallbladders and bear bile in Southeast Asia is a persistent threat to bear populations. As part of a larger effort to understand the characteristics of bear part consumption in Cambodia, we uncovered a consumer base of women seeking treatment for post-partum and uterine ailments.
Methods
To better understand this aspect of consumption, we interviewed 122 women in seven different provinces in Cambodia, probing into the motivations and influences for using bear bile, as well as what types of ailments Cambodian women use it for.
Results
We found that it is generally used by young or expecting mothers, and for such issues as post-partum “fatigue” (toas in Khmer), which could encompass post-partum depression. A desire to be supported by kin networks seems to facilitate the continued use of bear gallbladder and bile for these purposes.
Conclusions
We suggest that efforts to reduce consumption should focus on encouraging older kin to change their means of support to Western/biomedical and by extension non-wildlife alternatives.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 28 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 24 May 2020 |
Access to Document
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This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via BMC at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-020-00380-6 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.