Zoo and Captive Animal Welfare

Bear Welfare in Captivity: Sanctuaries and Farms

Bears in captivity range from cruel bile farms to high-quality sanctuaries, illustrating the full spectrum of captive animal welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

Approximately 20,000 bears are farmed for bile in China and Vietnam
Bile farming involves surgical extraction from live bears causing chronic pain
Moon Bear sanctuaries in Asia have rescued thousands of bears from bile farms
Captive bears commonly develop stereotypic behaviors including pacing and head-swaying
Bear bile farming has been illegal in Vietnam since 1992 but enforcement has been inconsistent

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming represents one of the most extreme examples of farm animal welfare abuse, combining surgical trauma, chronic pain, and severe deprivation for animals that are highly intelligent and wide-ranging in nature. The contrast with high-quality sanctuaries illustrates what is possible when animal welfare is genuinely prioritized. Consumer demand reduction for traditional medicine products containing bear bile is the primary driver of change.

What You Can Do

Never purchase products containing bear bile
Support Animals Asia and similar organizations rescuing bears from bile farms
Advocate for international pressure on governments to enforce bile farming bans
Donate to bear sanctuary organizations providing lifetime care for rescued bears