One of the world's most severe animal welfare issues — and the path toward ending it
Bear bile farming is one of the most severe large-scale animal welfare crises in the world. Bears — primarily Asiatic black bears (moon bears) and sun bears — are held in tiny cages for years or decades while bile is extracted from their gallbladders. The active ingredient, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), has genuine medicinal properties but is now fully synthesized — making farming bears medically unnecessary.
The suffering experienced by farmed bears is extreme and multidimensional:
Animals Of Asia (Animals Asia Foundation) and Free the Bears have documented bears with infected gall bladders, severe muscle atrophy from immobility, broken teeth from biting cage bars, and psychological trauma so severe that rescued bears require years of rehabilitation before social behavior normalizes.
UDCA has been chemically synthesized since the 1950s. Synthetic UDCA is chemically identical to bear bile UDCA, is FDA-approved for treating liver diseases, and costs less than farmed bear bile. Over 50 herbal alternatives to bear bile are recognized within Traditional Chinese Medicine itself. There is no medical justification for bear bile farming to continue.
Vietnam banned new bear bile farms in 1992 and committed to closure of existing farms, though implementation has been slow. South Korea has scheduled complete phase-out by 2026. China has licensed farms but also has growing public opposition and a proposed phase-out timeline. Laos and Myanmar remain problematic. Animals Asia Foundation has rescued over 700 bears from farms. The end of bear bile farming is achievable — the question is speed.
Key organizations: Animals Asia Foundation, Free the Bears, TRAFFIC, WWF. These organizations run sanctuary programs and advocacy campaigns. Your support directly funds bear rescue and advocacy for abolition.