Liberation day for 3 moon bears, with the first ever bile farm closure in Laos

On Wednesday April 2nd, Laos government officials from the Department of Forest Inspection, in collaboration with wildlife conservation charity Free the Bears, closed down a bear bile farm in the Laos capital, Vientiane, liberating three moon bears from small cages where they had been kept to extract bile from their gall bladders for use in traditional medicines.

This is the first bear bile farm to be closed down by the government of Laos. It is unknown how long the bears were in the farm or their origin. The bears, 2 males and a female, have been transferred to the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, operated by Free the Bears, where they will join over 135 rescued bears, requiring lifelong care for up to 35 years.

Moon bears or Asiatic black bears are classed as Vulnerable to Extinction, primarily due to poaching and habitat loss. They are the species of bear most commonly found in bear bile farms, with more than 10,000 moon bears caged in bile farms across Asia, despite being protected from international trade under the CITES convention.

In Laos, a 2007 wildlife law made it illegal to hunt, possess or trade bears or their body parts as well as extract bile from bears. However, the practice still persists, with loopholes for facilities existing prior to 2007.

“Closing a bear bile farm is a major milestone in our efforts to stamp out bear bile farming” commented Matt Hunt, CEO of Free the Bears.

“This follows a record year of bear rescues in Laos, with 30 bears rescued in 2024, including the world’s largest seizure of threatened bear cubs, which we believe were destined for a new bear bile farm. It’s great to see our Laos government partners increasingly tackle the illegal wildlife trade, and, with increasing public awareness of wildlife conservation, we hope to see greater crackdowns and an end to bear bile farming in Laos and Vietnam in the coming years” added Mr Hunt.

Free the Bears, an international charity founded by Australian grandmother Dr Mary Hutton, has helped rescue over 1,000 sun, moon and sloth bears, three of the most vulnerable bear species.

“This rescue is very emotional for me as the reason I formed Free the Bears was to help rescue bears from bile farms. These bears have suffered for years and now will be able to live a life free from fear and pain at our sanctuaries”, commented Dr Hutton.