Bear bile farming involves keeping bears in extremely confined conditions to extract bile from their gallbladders. The practice causes severe and prolonged suffering to thousands of bears across Asia.
Bear bile farming causes some of the most prolonged and severe suffering documented in any agricultural or wildlife context. Bears confined for decades in cages that prevent natural movement experience chronic physical and psychological suffering. The bile extraction process causes repeated pain and infection. The resulting chronic disease and injury, combined with complete deprivation of behavioral expression, creates conditions of extreme welfare deprivation. Rescued bears in sanctuaries show lasting behavioral abnormalities from years of confinement even after physical health improves. The availability of effective alternatives to bear bile - both plant-based and synthetic - makes the practice medically unnecessary. International advocacy, consumer campaigns against products containing bear bile, and diplomatic pressure on producing countries are the primary tools for ending this practice.