The
Brown
Bear:
The populations of Brown Bears in China, Bhutan, Mongolia (the Red Bear and the Tibetan Blue Bear)and Mexico are listed on Appendix I of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which prohibits all international trade in these animals, or products and part thereof.
It is likely that the Mexican population of the Grizzly is now extinct. The Asian subspecies are threatened by habitat loss and the poaching for the food and medicinal market.
There is also great concern about other Brown Bear populations following an increase in Bear poaching across Europe (Russia particularly) and North America, to supply the bear gallbladder market of Asia. Some populations are also threatened by human encroachment and agricultural development, where they are perceived as a threat to both local populations and economies. The increased isolation of small pockets of population also makes their survival difficult.
