Bile bear

A bile bear, also known as a bear bile farm bear, is a bear, typically an Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) or a sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), held in captivity to harvest its bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. The bile is used in traditional Asian medicine.

The practice is particularly prevalent in China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and South Korea, although it has been outlawed in some regions. Bears are often kept in small cages, sometimes known as "crush cages," which severely restrict their movement. Extraction methods are frequently crude and unhygienic, leading to chronic pain, infection, and a range of health problems for the bears, including tumors, liver cancer, peritonitis, and blindness. Common methods include using a catheter implanted permanently into the gallbladder, free-drip extraction (a permanent hole cut into the abdomen and gallbladder), and repeated surgical "milking" of the gallbladder.

The practice of bear bile farming is widely condemned by animal welfare organizations due to the extreme cruelty inflicted on the bears. These organizations advocate for the end of bear bile farming and promote the use of herbal or synthetic alternatives to bear bile. The demand for bear bile is driven by the belief in its medicinal properties, particularly its purported ability to treat liver ailments and inflammation. However, many herbal and synthetic alternatives are available that have been proven effective and do not involve animal cruelty.