Bear Welfare: Bile Farming, Tourism, and Hunting

Bears face welfare threats from bile farming, bear baiting, captive display, and hunting, with thousands suffering in conditions that cause severe and prolonged pain.

Key Facts

An estimated 12,000 bears are kept on bile farms in China and Vietnam
Bile extraction involves permanent surgical catheters or small metal cages causing chronic infection and pain
Bear baiting remains practised in parts of Pakistan and Central Asia despite being illegal in many countries
Captive bears in roadside zoos and tourist attractions frequently exhibit stress behaviours from inadequate environments
Black bear hunting is legal across much of North America with millions of bears legally killed annually
Organisations including Animals Asia have rescued over 600 bears from bile farms and placed them in sanctuaries

Welfare Considerations

Bears farmed for bile suffer intensely from the physical and psychological conditions of their confinement. The practice is unnecessary as synthetic ursodeoxycholic acid and plant alternatives are available. Advocacy combining regulatory pressure in range countries with demand reduction among consumers of traditional medicine products is the most effective path to ending bear bile farming.

What You Can Do

Support Animals Asia and other organisations rescuing bile-farmed bears
Avoid products containing bear bile and share awareness of alternatives
Advocate for stronger enforcement of bear bile farming bans in Vietnam
Engage with demand reduction campaigns targeting traditional medicine consumers
Support campaigns against bear baiting and bear entertainment where these persist