Wildlife

Bear Bile Farming: One of the Cruellest Industries in the World

Bear bile farming in China, Vietnam, and Korea confines thousands of bears in extraction cages for decades to harvest bile for traditional medicine.

Key Facts

An estimated 12,000-20,000 bears are farmed for bile across Asia
Bears are confined in crush cages too small to stand or turn for their entire lives
Catheters or fistulas are surgically inserted for continuous bile extraction
Bears develop severe stereotypic behaviors and self-mutilation from confinement
Effective synthetic and herbal alternatives to bear bile exist for all medical uses

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming causes extreme, prolonged suffering. Bears spend their entire lives immobilized in metal cages no larger than their bodies, unable to stand, turn, or express any natural behavior. The bile extraction process causes infection, pain, and chronic inflammation. Bile bears show severe psychological deterioration including repetitive swaying, self-mutilation, and complete behavioral abnormality.

What You Can Do

Never purchase products containing bear bile or animal-sourced traditional medicine
Support Animals Asia Foundation bear rescue programs
Advocate for bear bile farming bans in all producing and consuming countries
Donate to World Animal Protection campaigns against bear bile farming
Support synthetic and herbal alternative traditional medicine development