The Complex Reality of Bear Bile Farming
Thousands of bears across Asia have spent their lives confined to small cages on bile farms, where their bile is extracted for use in traditional medicine.
This practice causes immense physical and psychological suffering and has been widely condemned by conservation and animal welfare organisations around the world. Vietnam has taken important steps in recent years to address the issue, including registering captive bears and committing to end bile farming. Although registered bears could be kept legally, extracting and selling their bile remained illegal.
But as this research highlights, the reality is more complicated.
The study examines the conservation challenges surrounding bear bile farming in Vietnam through interviews with people who currently or formerly kept bears on bile farms. While the number of bears held on farms has declined significantly in recent years, many bears remain trapped in captivity and the illegal trade in bear parts still persists in some areas.
Crucially, the availability of farmed bear bile did not satisfy demand for bile from wild bears. Interviewees reported that consumers preferred wild-sourced bile and were willing to pay more for it. The study found that bear bile farming in Vietnam relied heavily on bears taken from the wild and failed to reduce pressure on wild populations.
Researchers point out that closing farms alone is not enough. Long-term solutions must also address ongoing demand for bear bile, strengthen enforcement against illegal trade and ensure rescued bears have somewhere safe to go.
This is where wildlife sanctuaries become essential.
Free the Bears has been working in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia for decades to rescue bears from bile farms and provide lifelong sanctuary care. Many rescued bears arrive severely traumatised after years in cages and require specialist veterinary care and rehabilitation.
Research like this helps guide the next phase of the fight against bear bile farming, ensuring that ending the practice also means securing a safe future for the bears who have suffered within it.
Publication authors: Brian Crudge, Trang Nguyen, Tien Trung Cao