Bear Bile Farming: Welfare Crisis and Alternatives

Bear bile farming in China and Vietnam subjects bears to chronic suffering for traditional medicine products. Viable synthetic and herbal alternatives exist for all medical applications.

Key Facts

Approximately 20,000 bears — mainly moon bears — are kept on bile farms in China and Vietnam
Bile is extracted through catheters or permanent fistulas that cause chronic infection and pain
Bears in bile farms show stereotypic behaviours, self-mutilation, and psychological trauma comparable to laboratory-confirmed PTSD
Synthetic ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) replicates the active compound in bear bile and is widely available
Several Chinese medical associations have endorsed synthetic alternatives and herbal substitutes for all bear bile applications
Animals Asia Foundation operates bear sanctuaries across China and Vietnam rehabilitating rescued farm bears

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming represents one of the most severe individual animal welfare crises in the world today. Bears confined in small cages with permanent extraction catheters experience chronic pain, infection, psychological trauma, and profound deprivation throughout lives that can last 20+ years in these conditions. The medical justification is obsolete — synthetic UDCA has been available since the 1970s and is cheaper, more consistent, and more widely accessible than bear bile. The persistence of the trade is cultural and economic rather than medically necessary. International pressure, Chinese legal reform, and consumer education have reduced the number of farms significantly from a peak of 10,000+ operations.

What You Can Do

Avoid all products containing bear bile — check labels on traditional Chinese medicine products carefully
Support Animals Asia Foundation and World Animal Protection campaigns against bear bile farming
Advocate for international trade regulations that restrict bear bile product exports
Share information about synthetic alternatives with traditional medicine practitioners and users
Engage with Chinese and Vietnamese diaspora communities about bear bile welfare concerns using culturally sensitive approaches