Bear bile farming

What is bear bile farming?

Bear bile farming is the industrial exploitation of bears for their bile – a digestive fluid used in traditional Asian medicine. More than 10,000 bears, mostly moon bears but also sun and brown bears, are trapped in this cruel trade across Asia.

We’ve rescued bears in cages so small they couldn’t turn around or stand on all fours. Most are confined this way as cubs and can survive up to 30 years, suffering decades of physical pain and psychological trauma.

Over 10,000 bears are trapped in captivity on bile farms across Asia, enduring unimaginable cruelty every day

The history of bear bile farming

Bear bile has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, but commercial farming began in China during the 1980s.

The practice was introduced as a conservation strategy – intended to reduce poaching of wild bears. In reality, it has fuelled further exploitation, both through increased demand and the illegal trafficking of wild bears.

In Vietnam, bear bile farming was officially outlawed in the early 1990s, but weak enforcement and legal loopholes allowed it to persist.

How bears are kept

On bile farms, bears endure unimaginable conditions. Cages are so small that many bears are physically deformed from years of confinement. They’re often starved to stimulate bile production and live in bleak conditions with no natural light and poor nutrition and hygiene. Most farmed bears suffer from painful infections, chronic mobility problems, broken teeth, and diseases such as cancer and high blood pressure.

Effects on the bears

Bear bile extraction leads to long-term, devastating health consequences. Bears commonly develop liver cancer, infections, and behavioural disorders. Even after years at our sanctuaries, some display signs of trauma. Yet their capacity to heal shows their resilience and highlights the importance of rescue efforts.

Rescued bears suffer from many health issues that require lifelong care

Why does bear farming continue?

Despite bans in countries like Vietnam and Laos, bear bile farming continues due to demand and inconsistent law enforcement. Legal loopholes allow the practice to masquerade as pet ownership, and enforcement agencies are overstretched and under-resourced. In China, where the practice is still legal, farms operate on an industrial scale.

What is bear bile used for?

Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), and is used to treat liver and gall bladder issues. It’s also found in other traditional remedies, cosmetics and even wine and toothpaste. 

 

What Animals Asia is doing

Animals Asia is working tirelessly to end bear bile farming through rescue, education and collaboration. We’ve partnered with the Vietnamese government to close every bear bile farm and rescue every remaining bear. We also work with traditional medicine communities to reduce demand and raise awareness of humane alternatives.

Find out how we’re ending bear bile farming in Vietnam

 

Alternatives to bear bile

Over 30 herbal and synthetic alternatives to bear bile exist – all safe, legal, and cruelty-free. Animals Asia promotes these alternatives. We also: 

  • Offer free health checks with traditional doctors who don’t prescribe bear bile
  • Create herb gardens with schools and communities to raise awareness of alternatives to bear bile
  • Hand out booklets celebrating the medicinal herbs that replace bear bile
  • Work with businesses to develop and distribute herbal alternatives to bear bile
Our herbal gardens are spreading awareness of bear bile alternatives