Porcupines across Southeast Asia are at risk of becoming endangered due to a misguided belief that undigested plant material found in their stomachs can cure cancer, diabetes, and dengue fever. This plant material, called bezoars, can only be removed through slaughter.
The prickly animal’s spines are also used in traditional Chinese medicine to prevent nosebleeds. The decline of porcupines is raising red flags in the conservation world and calls for porcupine protection are growing.
If the word bezoar sounds familiar, you may have heard it in a few of the Harry Potter books. In J.K. Rowling’s magical world, a bezoar from a goat counteracted most poisons. However, this is not the case in the real world.
There is no scientific evidence they offer any of the healing properties promised by traditional Chinese medicine.
Porcupine Poaching
The full extent of porcupine poaching is unknown despite calls to monitor and protect these animals. Since bezoars fetch between hundreds and thousands of dollars per ounce, the high price makes porcupines a prime target for poachers.
During the 1990s alone, the Malayan Porcupine declined by 20% due to overhunting. Though no comprehensive study has been done since that time, evidence suggests the decline has only continued.
Porcupine Farming
Almost as unpalatable as poaching wild porcupines, porcupine farming is common in Southeast Asia. The animals are bred, kept in small enclosures, and slaughtered for their meat, spines, and bezoars. Some sources claim that wild porcupines produce more potent medicinal properties, putting populations at risk.
Farmers have also admitted to using wild porcupines as founder stock. In addition, poachers will sell wild porcupine meat at a cheaper price than farmed meat. These activities put pressure on wild populations, threatening the species.
Porcupines are not at the forefront of conservation news. Though there are laws in place offering varying levels of protection, most protections are minimal and enforcement is difficult to navigate among legal trade.
Conservationists fear that porcupines will follow the path of pangolins. Illegally traded in the millions, pangolins became critically endangered before real protections kicked in.
Giving them the status of threatened or endangered would increase legal protections and raise awareness. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) has not designated the porcupine any protections for trade.
What Can You Do?
It may seem daunting to think about combating the poaching of these adorable herbivores. But you can speak up for their protection. Email the U.S. ambassadors in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia and let them know this issue needs to be addressed.
STOP the sadistic, depraved abuse to animals — SHAME on ALL the COWARDS who participate in the immoral, irrational, insane, unconscionable cruelty to animals — IT IS TIME TO STOP — NO MORE absurd excuses, NO MORE ridiculous justifications — STOP THE UNTRUTHS — start respecting, loving, caring for animals — LET’S DO RIGHT BY THEM.
How do you comment on the height of ignorance and selfishness.
I agree to boycott these countries. I quit going to Chinese restaurants a long
time ago.
MONEY TALKS. BOYCOTT ROMANIA, S. KOREA, SPAIN, CHINA & other dog, cat & bull-torturing countries. Setting bulls’ horns on fire for entertainment, drenching dogs in tar, shipping horses hunched over in cattle cars for days for slaughter in other countries, the atrocities committed against so-called lab animals & so-called food animals, including this. No normal person could think up this shit, let alone carry it out. SQUEEZE THESE COUNTRIES FINANCIALLY. BOYCOTT travel and do not buy their products, including Xmas trees, cars, wine, cosmetics, tchotchkes, everything you can.
MONEY TALKS. BOYCOTT ROMANIA, S. KOREA, SPAIN, CHINA & other dog, cat & bull-torturing countries. Setting bulls’ horns on fire for entertainment, drenching dogs in tar, shipping horses hunched over in cattle cars for days for slaughter in other countries, the atrocities committed against so-called lab animals & so-called food animals, including this. No normal person could think up this shit, let alone carry it out. SQUEEZE THESE COUNTRIES FINANCIALLY. BOYCOTT travel and do not buy their products, including Xmas trees, cars, wine, cosmetics, tchotchkes, everything you can.
I hate damn stinking dirty China! they murder and torture their own if they are Christians. No animal or Christian is safe in that dirty country. They eat anything that moves.
I recommend BOYCOTTING travel to and through China, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, etc., as much as possible. Also, BOYCOTT their imported products, including artificial Christmas trees, tchotchkes, furniture, paint, fabrics, whatever you can. MONEY TALKS.
I recommend BOYCOTTING travel to and through China, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, etc., as much as possible. Also, BOYCOTT their imported products, including artificial Christmas trees, tchotchkes, furniture, paint, fabrics, whatever you can. MONEY TALKS.
BOYCOTT this barbaric country. Hit Chinese in the wallet. They obviously don’t care about porcupines, bears, dogs, cats and other non-human animals, but you can be sure they care about their tourism and export industries.
MONEY TALKS.
We in the United States have plenty of superstitious, ignorant and psychopathic people here. We don’t need to import South Koreans, Chinese, Indonesians and other superstitious, ignorant and psychopathic people.
I agree with Ronald Tounian. I have heard that quote several times in the last
several years. “The greatness of a country is determined by the way they
treat their animals”.
Patricia Winters…..the point isn’t about whether or not other people have heard the quote!! Gawd!!! He was implying that — animal cruelty is a rare occurrence in the USA & he was using the quote to insinuate that animal cruelty was practically non existent in the USA. In the post before that one he actually stated that people in the USA are more educated than people in any other country!!!! — which was the reason that he posted the next post about the greatness of a country quote. There are as many creeps being cruel & torturing animals in the USA as in any other country — with the exception of the nation wide mentally challenged Asian Neanderthals of course. Other countries do this to them in public because the idiots condone this & their public considers it normal daily life. In more civilized & educated countries it’s a broad fact right across the board that we don’t tolerate or condone animals being treated like that here, so cruel creeps do it to them in hidden places because they know it isn’t tolerated by the public & they will be punished.
GREATNESS OF A NATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION OF ITS PEOPLE. I REFER ALL TO A QUOTE FROM M. GANDHI THAT STATES,
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Then you also believe that there is no animal cruelty in the USA — yikes!! You’ve been missing a lot of petitions then — dogs tied up & burned alive — dogs dragged from cars — other animals left in crates to starve or bake in a hot carrier in the ditch — dogs with their mouths taped up — dogs hanged — frozen to death being made to stay outside in uninsulated dog houses in sub-zero temps. GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND!!!!!!!!!!!! As I said……EDUCATE YOURSELF!!
Unfortunately, we don’t have any choice who our neighbors are. Chinese moved in next door
and I am so worried that my cat or dog will accidently get out and I won’t see them again. Why
does this country even allow those barbarians to move to this country?. They are NOT going
to stop their tradition just because they moved to this country. I’ve been cursed. And there’s
nothing I can do about it because of discrimination laws.
CHINESE ARE TOTALLY AWARE OF THEIR FAKE PSEUDO MEDICAL IDEOLOGIES, AND USE THE IGNORANCE OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND THE WORLD TO PROMOTE REALLY ANYTHING TO MAKE MONEY. SAME IS TRUE EVEN IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT PEOPLE ARE A BIT MORE EDUCATED IN USA THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD. THANK GOD FOR THAT. BARBARIC KOREANS ARE CONVINCED THAT TORTURED (PLEASE NOTE…..TORTURED) DOG AND CAT MEAT SOUP WILL COOL THEM DURING HOT SUMMER DAYS. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS TO TRY ICE AND GET COOLED MUCH FASTER AND BETTER. BUT FAR EAST IS THE LAND OF RUTHLESS AND MINDLESS SAVAGES, SADISTS, AND TRUE BARBARIANS. WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO TO RESCUE THESE POOR ANIMALS FROM THESE SADISTIC BARBARIANS ???? WE ARE ALL TRYING WHAT WE KNOW BEST. PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS COMMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT. THANK YOU.
Ronald Tounian….I’d like to correct you. The only thing the United States has more of than the rest of the world is arrogance. Canada, England, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, and ANY of the British commonwealth countries are extremely HIGHLY educated. In Canadian schools, American history is taught but in fact — Americans know ZIP about Canadian history or geography. Educate yourself about it!!
Do they really believe this crap?
F***ing hell, is there ANYTHING the Chinese WON’T kill for their stupid “medicine”?!?!?!?!!!!
BARBARIANS WITHOUT BORDERS AND SAVAGES WITHOUT SURROUND; CAN NOT DESCRIBE HUMANS ANY BETTER. SHAME ON HUMANITY FOR DESTROYING PLANET EARTH.
Stop à ce genre de comportements sauvages! Il n’y a malheureusement pas qu’en Chine que des humains se comportent comme des monstres
China the most horrible barbaric country in the world! No animal is safe.