Bear Bile Farming and Welfare Consequences

Bear bile farming keeps bears in tiny cages while bile is extracted from their gall bladders. The practice causes extreme suffering and continues in parts of Asia despite growing opposition and available synthetic alternatives.

Key Facts

An estimated 10,000-20,000 bears are kept on bile farms in China, Vietnam, and South Korea
Bile is extracted through catheters or open wounds in the abdomen, causing chronic pain and infection
Bears on farms may spend their entire lives in cages so small they cannot stand upright or turn around
Ursodeoxycholic acid, the key compound in bear bile, has been synthetically produced since the 1950s
Several synthetic and herbal alternatives to bear bile are accepted in traditional medicine practice
Vietnam announced a phase-out of bear bile farming in 2020 but implementation has been slow
Animals Asia has rescued and rehabilitated over 600 bears from bile farms

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming causes severe and chronic suffering throughout the lives of confined animals. The extraction process creates permanent wounds or catheter tracts that become infected, causing ongoing pain. Bears confined in crush cages cannot express any natural behaviour and develop severe stereotypic behaviours including repetitive head-swaying indicating profound psychological distress. Many bears arrive at farms as cubs, having been traumatised by capture. The existence of effective synthetic alternatives makes the welfare justification for bear bile farming negligible. Legislative phase-outs in several countries reflect the strength of the welfare case, though enforcement and timeline remain inconsistent.

What You Can Do

Never purchase products containing bear bile or traditional medicines from unverified sources
Support Animals Asia and other organisations rescuing and rehabilitating bile farm bears
Advocate for complete and enforceable bans on bear bile farming in all producing countries
Engage with traditional medicine practitioners on the availability of effective synthetic alternatives
Donate to bear sanctuary programmes providing lifetime care for rescued animals
Share evidence of bear bile farming welfare impacts with interested audiences