Wildlife

Confinement of Bears for Bile Farming

Bear bile farming in China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries confines thousands of Asiatic black bears in cages for decades to extract bile, causing severe physical and psychological suffering.

Key Facts

An estimated 10,000-20,000 bears are held on bile farms in China alone
Traditional bile extraction involves catheters or permanent fistulas into the gallbladder
Caged bears develop severe stereotypic behaviors including head-swaying and bar-biting
Asiatic black bears are intelligent, wide-ranging animals with complex behavioral needs
Traditional medicine alternatives to bear bile exist and are medically equivalent

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming inflicts compounding welfare harms: extreme spatial confinement, chronic pain from extraction devices, social isolation, and decades of frustration of natural behavioral drives. Bears in bile farming situations show near-universal psychological abnormality. The existence of effective herbal and synthetic alternatives to bear bile makes the continuation of bear farming an entirely unnecessary source of suffering.

What You Can Do

Never purchase or use traditional medicine products containing bear bile
Support campaigns to phase out bear bile farming through legislation
Donate to Animals Asia and similar organizations rehabilitating rescued bile bears
Advocate for investment in synthetic alternatives to replace bear bile in medicine
Raise awareness about bear bile farming and available alternatives