Bear Bile Farming: A Global Welfare Crisis

Bear bile farming in China, Vietnam and other Asian countries subjects thousands of bears to years of confinement and painful extraction procedures for traditional medicine ingredients.

Key Facts

An estimated 20,000 bears are held on bile farms across Asia, primarily moon bears and brown bears
Bile is extracted via catheters or permanent fistula holes in the bear abdomen, causing chronic infection and pain
Bears in bile farms exhibit severe stereotypies and self-mutilation from chronic stress and confinement
Synthetic ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) provides an exact substitute for bear bile in all medical applications
Animals Asia and other organizations have rescued hundreds of bears from bile farms since 1994

Welfare Considerations

Bear bile farming inflicts sustained, severe suffering on highly intelligent animals over years or decades. Moon bears have complex social lives and high cognitive abilities — the isolation, painful procedures and barren conditions of bile farms cause profound psychological as well as physical harm. There is no welfare-compatible version of bile farming. Fortunately, the synthetic alternative UDCA is identical in chemical composition and therapeutic effect to bear bile, meaning there is no medical justification for continuing the practice. Regulation, enforcement and education about alternatives can end this industry.

What You Can Do

Support Animals Asia and Free the Bears organizations working to end bile farming
Avoid traditional Chinese medicine products containing bear bile
Advocate for enforcement of existing laws against bear bile farming in China and Vietnam
Support campaigns for synthetic UDCA to be promoted as the standard treatment in Asian markets