Bear bile farming in Asia subjects thousands of bears to chronic suffering through extraction procedures and severe confinement.
Bear bile farming causes severe and chronic suffering. Bears kept in crush cages cannot perform basic movements for years or decades. Bile extraction procedures cause pain and infection. The psychological suffering is extreme, with nearly all farmed bears showing stereotypic behaviors. Despite growing opposition from conservation groups and some Chinese authorities, the industry continues. Effective plant-based alternatives to bear bile exist for all its purported medical uses.