As times and tastes change, Vietnam’s bear bile industry is fading away
For what was once considered an essential medicine, farmers spent decades extracting bile from captive bears. Now, farms are closing down—and consumers have mostly moved on.
As bear bile farms close throughout Vietnam, consumers say they’re “apathetic” about continued use of the substance in traditional medicine, according to a new study published in Conservation and Society.
In Vietnam, bile traditionally was obtained from the gallbladders of wild bears. The practice of farming Asiatic black bears and sun bears—both considered vulnerable to extinction—started in the 1990s to meet a growing demand for bile. Used to treat ailments including colds and bruises, bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid, which is medically proven to help dissolve gallstones and treat liver disease.
In the bear bile farms, neglect, disease, and cramped, inhumane conditions are common, according to the nonprofit Animals Asia.
