The sale of bear gallbladders, which are thought to have healing properties, is illegal. The bear paws were used to make soup and the fat was boiled down for use in skin creams

TORONTO — Five people have been convicted of illegal wildlife trafficking for smuggling black bear parts from Saskatchewan to Ontario, officials from both provinces announced Thursday as they wrapped up a two-and-a-half-year probe.

Four of those involved in trafficking the paws and gallbladders were from Saskatoon and Sandy Bay, Sask., while the fifth was from Toronto, said Staff Supt. Lindsey Couillard, manager of the intelligence and investigations service of Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources.

“Those involved in the trade, they don’t stop at provincial boundaries. They were moving the wildlife from Saskatoon to Toronto,” she said. “It’s very rewarding to conclude the case, because we know this one will protect the wildlife, but it also puts an end to a segment of the illegal black market.”

The sale of bear gallbladders, which are thought to have healing properties, is illegal. The bear paws were used to make soup and the fat was boiled down for use in skin creams, police said

By THE CANADIAN PRESS – London Free Press
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