Unbearable slaughter

Wanton killings: Some 1,657 bears are estimated to have been slaughtered for their paws between 2000 and 2011. A new study has raised the alarm on Asia's widespread bear trade. - Filepic

Cute and cuddly they may be, but bears have not escaped the claws of poachers.

The illegal trade in bears and their body parts is rife across Asia, with as many as 2,801 bears either trapped or slaughtered over a 12-year period to feed demand.