Wild Bear Welfare: Bile Farming and the Campaign for Freedom

Bear bile farming in Asia causes extreme suffering to thousands of bears in crush cages. Campaigns for legal bans and viable traditional medicine alternatives are achieving results.

Key Facts

Approximately 10,000-12,000 bears are held on bile farms in China, with smaller operations in Vietnam, Laos, and South Korea
Bears are kept in tiny crush cages — some unable to stand or turn — with catheters inserted for continuous bile extraction
Common welfare problems include infected wounds, psychological trauma, limb atrophy, broken teeth, and severe stereotypic behaviors
Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) — an effective liver treatment also synthesizable and commercially available as a pharmaceutical
Vietnam banned new bear bile farm registrations in 2005 and is working toward a full phase-out
Animals Asia Foundation and World Animal Protection lead campaigns for farm closure and rehabilitation of freed bears

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming causes some of the most severe and chronic animal welfare harm documented anywhere in the world. Individual bears spend their entire lives in conditions causing constant physical pain from wounds, psychological trauma from extreme confinement, and the progressive physical deterioration of animals unable to move, exercise, or engage in any natural behavior. The welfare case for immediate farm closure is overwhelming and unambiguous. Synthetic UDCA is equally effective as a pharmaceutical and commercially available — removing any justification for bear bile use. Animal rescue and rehabilitation programs demonstrate that rescued bile bears can recover physical health and behavioral normality given appropriate care. China is beginning to address bile farming through regulatory tightening, though full closure remains a longer-term goal.

What You Can Do

Donate to Animals Asia Foundation and Free the Bears programs rescuing and rehabilitating bile bears
Advocate against products containing bear bile and support awareness campaigns reducing traditional medicine demand
Support diplomatic advocacy for bear bile farm closure in China, Vietnam, Laos, and South Korea
Learn about the scale and severity of bear bile farming and share information to build international pressure for closure
Choose herbal and synthetic alternatives to traditional medicines containing bear bile or other animal derivatives