South Korea Ends Cruel Bear Bile Farming After Years of Protests

Bear bile has been used in traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years, resulting in the cruel extraction of bile and the death of thousands of bears, including endangered bear species. While bear bile was once gathered by hunters and used sparingly by doctors, the practice of farming bears for their bile began to increase in the late 20th century.

For years, activists protested against the bear bile farming that was happening around China, Vietnam, and South Korea. Eventually, some laws and regulations were put into place to regulate the industry, but bear bile farming continued.

However, things are finally changing! According to World Animal Protection, the South Korean Ministry of Environment has signed a joint agreement between the Bear Farmers Association and a few other animal protection organizations, committing to prohibit bear bile farming and bile extraction beginning in January 2026.

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Currently, South Korea allows the bile extraction of slaughtered bears that have been killed after they reach the age of 10. Bears can live into their 40s with proper care, but bear farms are notorious for being abusive, neglectful, and cutting the animals’ lives short significantly.

The government has also made a move to sterilize all existing farmed bears and plans to build multiple sanctuaries throughout the country to house the bears that will be freed from the cruel farms.

According to World Animal Protection, there are an estimated 360 bears living on farms, a significant drop from the 1,400 estimated bears that were found on farms in the mid-2000s.

South Korea’s ban on the cruel farming practice is a huge win for activists and bears! Now, we just need to get other countries on the same path.

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• China Promotes Bear Bile To Treat Coronavirus
• 101 Bears Saved from Bear Bile Farms
• Poachers in Florida are Killing Bears for the Bear Bile Trade
• Four Paws Rescues Asiatic Bear From Bile Farm

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