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BEIJING - A Chinese medicine professional denied claims that the practice of extracting bear bile is cruel and promised to give media a chance to visit the country's bear farms. 北京：中国中医药协会日前召开媒体沟通会，就目前备受舆论关注的“活熊取胆”做出回应，否认活熊取胆很残忍的说法，并承诺可以协助媒体参观对公众封闭的养熊场。 The extraction of bear bile for medicinal purposes has met opposition from animal rights activists in recent years. Opponents say the bears are subjected to crude surgery that leaves permanent wounds in their abdominal walls and gall bladders, causing serious diseases and even death. 近些年来，用于医疗用途的活熊取胆招致了动物权利保护人士的强烈反对。反对者称这些熊遭受的残忍取胆手术，将对腹壁和胆囊造成永久性伤害，造成严重的疾病甚至死亡。 The protest became increasingly intense in past weeks after a pharmaceutical company in Fujian province that makes medicine from bear bile filed for approval by the Growth Enterprise Board to be listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. 活熊取胆抗议浪潮在过去的几周愈发激烈，这主要是因为在2月1日证监会公告的一批排队上市企业的名单，从事活熊取胆的福建药企归真堂就赫然在列。 The company, Guizhentang Pharmaceuticals, is expected to use the funds raised by the initial public offering (IPO) to expand the size of its farm and the number of its bears, media reported. | 
