Traditional Chinese medical treatments and Chinese medicine is an invaluable heritage made for global human beings by Chinese nations, it have always been powerful arm of our Chinese to against various diseases. Along with development of society and culture’s evolution, conservation on natural resources and their sustainable use coming to be a task of historical significance more and more clearly. The principles of "conservation first and utilization subsequently" which have been gradually established and persisted in for several thousands of years by Chinese medical practitioners will also have to be updated in a way to better achieve the balance between Conservation and utilization which seems invariable subjects. Among rich Chinese medicinal materials, most of them are natural medicines, bear gall is one of them which is of reliable and clearly medical functions at broad range. Historically, bear gall was got by killing of wild bears, the way limited its available amount to common people and damaged wild populations of bear species. From point of views of either human healthy or cultural heritage diversity’s protection, make bear gall a plenty medicine resources through a sustainable way is deserved to be studied at top priorities.

Since the development of bear farming in China in the 1980’s, fruitful or substantial achievements have been made, techniques of bile milking jointed with captive breeding efforts served as two critical components of bear farming in China. These two components were also focus points of our research in the past and topics of our presentation at this very important occasion.

Since 1985, the research on conservation and utilization of black bears have started, when it come to the year of 1988, the captive bear population in our deer farm had reached a number of 458 heads. With this base, several important scientific research activities on captive breeding and gall bile milking from live bears have not only been carried out, but also achieved substantial progress, for the time at present, concerning findings have been put in use on a large scale. Following are some important numbers involved with bear farming in our plant. From very beginning of 1986 to July, 1999, a total of about 5,419 kg of bear gall powder have been collected by our plant. Base data indicated by operation practice on the volume of bear gall bladder and its inside dried gall powder’s weight, average weight of dried gall powder is about 24 grams¹, the date is consistent with data collected by Medicine Inspection Institute. That is if 1 kg of bear gall powder come from killed wild bears is acquired, about 22 or 25 individuals of wild bear need to killed. That is to say 5,419 kg of bear gall powder needs to kill about 220 thousands of wild adult bears if bear farming program does not existed. Above date clearly demonstrated the active role of bear farming in keeping a stable wild bear’s population in China. From very beginning of bear farming program started, total about 427 cubs have been bred in captivity in our farm, and by the end of last year, total about 320 of them have been survived. Thus not only enlarge captive population within our farm, but also supported other bear farm to enlarge their captive population, nearly 260 individuals captive-bred bears had been transferred to other facilities.