Wildlife

Bear Bile Farming in Asia

Bear bile farming — extracting bile from live bears for traditional medicine — is one of the most egregious captive animal welfare abuses remaining in East Asia.

Key Facts

An estimated 20,000 bears are held on bile farms in China, Vietnam, and South Korea
Bears on farms are often kept in crush cages so small they cannot stand or turn around
Extraction methods include permanent catheterization or open abdominal fistulas
Bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which can be synthesized synthetically
Animals Asia Foundation has rescued over 700 bears from bile farms since 1994

Welfare Considerations

Bile bears suffer among the most extreme and prolonged welfare failures of any farmed animal. Permanent surgical access holes invite chronic infection; crush cages cause severe muscle atrophy; many bears develop gallbladder cancer from repeated trauma. The active ingredient in bear bile is now synthetically available and used in Western medicine, making farming biologically unnecessary. Public health and welfare arguments both support ending the practice.

What You Can Do

Support Animals Asia Foundation bile bear rescue and rehabilitation programs
Avoid any products containing bear bile (check traditional medicine ingredients)
Advocate for international trade restrictions on bear bile products
Donate to TRAFFIC and WWF campaigns monitoring bear bile trade routes