The Region : Man Admits Possession of Animal Parts

Possession of 19 black bear gall bladders worth an estimated $16,000 and other animal parts has netted a Los Angeles businessman a six-month jail term and a $7,800 fine in Trinity County Justice Court. James Han Song, 52, pleaded guilty to six charges of illegally possessing deer and bear parts. Charges against co-defendant Tanya Sun Kim were dismissed. Song and Kim were arrested in January after their vehicle ran off California 299 in the Trinity National Forest, spilling the gall bladders, 20 black bear paws and freshly butchered deer meat, the state Department of Fish and Game said. Officials said there is an active black market in bear parts in Los Angeles’ Korean community and in the Orient. Officials said demand for bear parts has stimulated year-round poaching in Northern California. Dried and processed bear gall bladders are sought for their alleged health value and can cost as much as $12 per gram, or about $330 an ounce.