Bear bile farming is a deeply inhumane practice in Asia, where bears are confined in cramped, filthy cages and subjected to painful procedures to extract their bile for traditional medicine. These conditions cause lifelong suffering, with many bears enduring up to 20 years of physical and psychological torment.
Despite the availability of synthetic and herbal alternatives, this industry persists, inflicting needless cruelty on these intelligent and sensitive animals. Together, we can take action to end this unjustifiable practice and protect bears from further harm.
Many people are unaware of the horrors of the bear bile industry, which involves thousands of bears living in harsh conditions solely for traditional medicine.
The practice of bear bile farming began decades ago, fueled by the demand for bile in traditional medicine, believed to have therapeutic properties. Countries like China, Vietnam, South Korea, Laos, and Myanmar became hotspots for the industry. Today, thousands of bears are still held in bile farms across Asia, with facilities often involving inhumane conditions and outdated extraction methods.
While bear bile farming is legal in countries like China and South Korea, other nations, such as Vietnam, have banned bile extraction but struggle with illegal farming and trade. Efforts to phase out this practice face challenges, including enforcement gaps, traditional medicine demand, and resistance from bear farm owners.
World Animal Protection has been protecting the world’s bears for more than 30 years
World Animal Protection and Green Korea United (GKU) have been working to end the South Korean bear bile industry since 2003. Together we have moved the people of South Korea to support an end to the industry and lobby for better protection for bears.
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We are dedicated to ending the exploitation of bears in the bear bile industry and safeguarding wild bears from a life of suffering. Our efforts include collaborating with global and local partners to create lasting change, advocating for improved welfare for captive bears, promoting alternatives to bear bile, and pushing for stronger laws and enforcement to protect these animals. We also work to hold governments accountable for their commitments to wildlife protection.
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We have been recognised for its pivotal role in helping to phase out bear bile farming in Vietnam. With bear numbers on farms reduced by 95%.
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Maya Pastakia, our International Campaign Manager, recently came face-to-face with bear bile farming, one of the worst forms of animal abuse today.
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The three bears were the last remaining bile bears in Lang Son and the province is now the 34th bear-free province in Vietnam.
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Countries that keep captive bears for traditional medicine must follow this positive example to end the captive breeding of bears for their bile
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We’re microchipping more bears in Vietnam, which will help end the awful practice of extracting bear bile for traditional medicine
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Owner of the infamous Gyumri Zoo, Armenia, abandoned the animals and left them to starve in horrendous living conditions. Now two of the resident bears have been brought to the Romanian sanctuary we fund.
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The three five year-old sibling European brown bears were born in an overpopulated zoo. Now that they’ve been transported out of the confined space, their lives have been transformed.
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We are reaching the final stages of our campaign to end the cruel bear bile industry in South Korea, working in partnership with Green Korea United.
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We have stepped in to respond to a desperate appeal to save two bears kept in horrific conditions at a restaurant in Russia.
The often-overlooked bear bile farming industry is one of the most horrific examples of animal cruelty. Imagine life in a tiny, barren cage, barely larger than your body. You can't turn around and naturally feel mentally and physically distressed. You are isolated; there's no natural light, exercise or stimulation.
How can we do this to sentient beings?
On top of the horror of daily life, these captive bears are then subjected to torturous bile extraction procedures, where bile is drained from their gallbladders. This extraction procedure is agonising and worse, the equipment is unsanitary, so infections are common if they don't succumb to a slow and painful death.
Since 2005, World Animal Protection has been working to end the cruel practice of bear bile farming. Key actions included registering and microchipping all captive bears to prevent illegal trade and exploitation. Working alongside other organizations like ENV, Animals Asia, Four Paws, and Free The Bears, World Animal Protection has helped rescue bears and reduce the demand for bear bile.
World Animal Protection continues to call for urgent action to confiscate illegally kept bears and end the industry. We couldn't have gotten this far without our supporters, and you can continue to put an end to this cruel industry. Join our email list to updated and ready to take action for these incredible species.
Bear bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder of bears. It is highly valued in traditional Asian medicine due to its high concentration of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is believed to have various medicinal properties.
A bear bile farm is a facility where bears, typically Asiatic black bears, are kept in captivity to harvest their bile. These farms subject bears to inhumane conditions, often involving small cages and painful bile extraction methods, which cause severe physical and psychological harm to the animals.
Bear bile is used primarily in traditional Asian medicine. It is believed to treat a range of ailments, including liver disease, gallstones, and inflammation. Despite the availability of herbal alternatives and growing appetite for these medicines with practitioners.
Bear bile is collected through invasive and painful methods, including catheterisation, syringe extraction, or surgically created fistulas. These procedures are performed repeatedly over the bear's lifetime, causing significant suffering and often leading to infections and other health issues.
Yes, bear bile farming still exists, primarily in countries like China and Vietnam. Despite growing awareness and campaigns against the practice, many bears continue to be held in captivity and subjected to bile extraction for traditional medicine.
Bear bile is harvested due to its high content of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is believed to have medicinal properties. Traditional Asian medicine values bear bile for treating various ailments, despite the availability of effective and humane synthetic alternatives. This demand fuels the continued practice of bear bile farming.