End Bear Bile Farming in Asia

End Bear Bile Farming in Asia

By Tiffany Jin

Last summer, I went back to China to visit my grandpa. He had just come back from the hospital after a surgery on his knees. The doctor said he had to continually take what was called Bear bile powder to reduce pains and rebuild bones. At first, I thought Bear bile powder was artificial because I believed that bears are dangerous and it's almost impossible for people to raise bears on their own. However, after I done some detailed research, I was shocked by how cruel the truth could be. 

(Bear bile powder in China)

According to Animal Asia, a bear rescue organization,  more than 10,000 bears – mainly moon bears, but also sun bears and brown bears – are kept on bile farms in China, and just under 2,000 in Vietnam. The bears are milked regularly for their bile, which is used in traditional medicine. Bears are confined in cages which vary from agonizingly tiny "crush" cages to larger pens, all of which cause terrible physical and mental suffering.

In China, Bear bile has been used as an traditional Chinese medicine for over 3000 years. It has been used to cure various ailments, such as fever, gall stones, liver problems, heart disease, and eye irritation. "The active ingredient in bear bile is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is more abundant in the bile of bears than in any other mammal. Bile is excreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, where it is released into the stomach to aid in digestion. The average bear produces 2 kilograms of dry bile powder per year. The price of bear bile varies by location, but investigators have found that bile sells for about US$410 per kilogram in China, an average wild bear gall bladder sells for US$33 per gram in Japan, and a whole bear gallbladder sells for about US$10,000 in South Korea. [Because there is now a surplus of bear bile, bear farmers have begun producing shampoo, wine, tea, and throat lozenges containing bile."(animallaw.info)

A group of journalists made documentary "The Moon Bear" in China 2012, the documentary discovered the dark secret of bear farming in China:

These Bears Need Our Help!

Animals Asia is devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam.Today,  Animals Asia has rescued over 400 bears, caring for them at its award-winning bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam. From its small beginnings in Hong Kong, Animals Asia has grown into a respected international NGO with over 300 staff and offices in Australia, China, Germany, Italy, the UK, US and Vietnam. 

Visit www.animalsasia.org to see more information!

Make a donation here:https://www.animalsasia.org/us/donate/