Wild Sun Bear Bile Farming | Animal Welfare Hub

Sun bears and moon bears are kept in small wire cages on bile farms across Asia, with their bile extracted through painful procedures for use in traditional medicine products.

Key Facts

Approximately 20,000 bears are kept on bile farms across China, Vietnam, and Laos
Bile is extracted through permanent catheters or repeated punctures of the abdomen
Bears on bile farms show severe physical and psychological welfare problems
Moon bears (Asiatic black bears) comprise most of the bile farming population
Sun bears are smaller and less common in farming but still affected
Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) which is synthesized cheaply as a pharmaceutical
Animals Asia Foundation has rescued thousands of bears from bile farms
China has not banned bile farming despite pledges to phase it out

Welfare Considerations

Bile farming causes acute and chronic suffering at every level. The physical extraction process causes abdominal wounds, infections, and pain. Bears confined in cages too small to stand or turn develop severe muscle atrophy and psychological trauma visible in stereotypic behaviors - head weaving, endless repetitive pacing. Rescued bears show behavioral abnormalities persisting for years. The cruelty of bile farming is compounded by its complete medical unnecessity - synthetic UDCA is cheaper and chemically identical to bear bile. No traditional medicine benefit justifies this suffering.

What You Can Do

Support Animals Asia Foundation bear rescue and sanctuary programs
Avoid purchasing any product containing bear bile
Advocate for international pressure on governments maintaining legal bile farming
Support demand reduction campaigns for bear bile products in consumer countries
Learn about bile farming from Animals Asia and share this information widely