Bear bile farming nears its end: Celebrating an honour for helping bears in Vietnam
News
Vietnam is on the verge of completely ending the cruel practice of bear bile farming. This significant achievement is made possible by the unwavering support of animal lovers like you, the relentless efforts of animal advocacy groups, and the hard work of our partners on the ground.
World Animal Protection was honoured for playing a pivotal role in helping end bear bile farming in Vietnam. Together, we were presented with this honour at the Ending Bear Farming in Vietnam: The Road to Victory press conference by Education for Nature, Vietnam (ENV).
Our efforts to end bear bile farming since 2005
With your support, together, we have been working tirelessly with others to end bear bile farming in Vietnam since 2005. We were able to partner with Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and help to launch a pioneering initiative aimed at phasing out this cruelty that exploits bears for financial gain.
One of the landmark actions was the registration and microchipping of all captive bears, ensuring that unregistered animals would be confiscated, putting a stop to illegal trade and the cruel exploitation of these magnificent creatures.
A collective effort to protect bears
Your efforts are complemented by NGOs like Environment for Nature Vietnam, Animals Asia Foundation, Four Paws, and Free the Bears, which focus on rescuing bears, supporting law enforcement agencies to address bear crime, reducing bear bile consumption, and encouraging bear owners to voluntarily transfer their bears to rescue centres.
Thanks to our collective efforts, the number of bears held on bile farms in Vietnam has dropped by a staggering 95% – from approximately 4,000 bears in 2005 to only 190 bears in 2024.
But every bear counts. And we won’t stop until we see every bear in Vietnam rescued and moved to a sanctuary to live the rest of their lives free from pain and suffering.
This wouldn’t be possible without YOU
This significant milestone for bears simply wouldn’t have been possible without your wonderful support. By donating, signing petitions, and advocating for bears, you have helped achieve this victory for bears.
Every single step forward has been fuelled by your passion and belief in a world where no bear suffers for bile extraction ever again. Thank you for your incredible work.
The fight to end bear bile farming is not over yet
While we celebrate these remarkable achievements, the fight is not over yet. Hanoi remains the last stronghold for bear bile farming in Vietnam, with nearly half of the country’s remaining bile bears still kept on farms in the city.
With you standing side by side with bears, we will continue to push for urgent action, call on local authorities to step up their efforts, confiscate illegally kept bears, and bring an end to this cruel industry for good.
Together, we will ensure that every last bear is freed from captivity and that bear bile farming becomes a dark chapter of history.
Bear facts
Did you know there are eight species of bears including the Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, sun bear, and brown bear?
Traditional medicine
Every year, thousands of animals are bred in captivity or snatched from the wild to fuel the traditional medicine market.
Donate to protect bears
Your support can help to cover food and medical costs that protect bears at our partner sanctuaries.