Bear Bile Farming and Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Bear bile farming in China and Vietnam keeps thousands of bears in small cages to extract bile from their gallbladders. It causes profound and continuous suffering.

Key Facts

An estimated 20,000 bears (mainly Asiatic black bears) are held on bile farms
Bile extraction methods include catheters, fistulas, and full metal jacket cages
Bile farms are legal in China and Vietnam but face growing domestic opposition
Synthetic alternatives to bile compounds exist for all traditional medicine applications
Animals Asia Foundation has rescued over 600 bears from bile farms

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming causes suffering at every stage. Bears are confined in cages often too small to stand or turn around. Extraction procedures cause infection, peritonitis, and chronic pain. Bears show stereotypic behaviour, self-mutilation, and severe psychological disturbance. The 'free-drip' method used in China still requires permanent open wounds or catheters. Despite synthetic alternatives being available, demand for 'authentic' bear bile persists. This is among the most severe forms of institutionalised animal suffering in the world.

What You Can Do

Support Animals Asia Foundation rescue and sanctuary programs
Avoid purchasing traditional medicine products containing bile or bear products
Advocate for a global ban on bear bile farming through diplomatic channels
Support the growing movement within China and Vietnam opposing bear bile farming
Engage with trade policy to prevent import of bear bile products