The government of Laos has for the first time shut down a farm where live bears were harvested for their bile, after convincing the farm’s owner to voluntarily hand over three bears.
The rescued Asian black bears (Ursus thibetanus), two males and one female, are now being quarantined at the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, operated by Australia-based NGO Free the Bears, which participated in the rescue.
“This is an important milestone for both Free the Bears and our government partners, showing that it is possible to close a bear bile farm and signalling that Laos is increasing its capacity and commitment to take on those who are illegally exploiting wildlife for profit,” Rod Mabin, Free the Bears communications director, told Mongabay by email.
Bile farms, found across Southeast Asia, usually hold Asian black and sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) in cages. Bile is extracted from their gall bladders using a syringe, for use in Asian traditional medicine as a supposed treatment for liver and kidney disease. Mabin said that while the active compound Ursodeoxycholic acid found in bear bile is scientifically proven to address liver or bile duct diseases, it can easily be synthesized in a laboratory. “There is no legitimate reason to extract bile from bears or keep bears in bile farms.”
It’s also illegal to hunt, possess or trade bears and their body parts in Laos under a 2007 wildlife law, but Mabin said a loophole exempts bile farms established before the law’s enactment.
Moreover, bile farms can only be closed when there are rescue facilities available to accept the bears, which can’t be released into the wild. “Rescued bears often have broken teeth and claws, skin conditions, infected wounds, malignant cancers, damaged eyes or blindness, stunting and poor body condition with wasted muscles,” Mabin said. “It is only in recent years that sufficient sanctuary space has become available to rescue more bears and close down farms.”
The three recently rescued bears are also expected to suffer lifelong health issues due to a poor diet and regular bile extraction. Veterinarians are monitoring their progress, and after about a month in quarantine, the bears will be released into the sanctuary’s natural outdoor habitat, which includes climbing platforms, pools, caves and swings.
“We ‘enrich’ their environment to encourage them to explore and interact with their surroundings, stimulate their highly intelligent minds, and give them choices to help them feel more in control of their environment. This ultimately leads to healthier and more content bears,” Mabin said.
The NGO previously spotted 20-30 caged bears in the now-closed bear bile farm, called Kao Liaw, in Laos’s capital, Vientiane, but Mabin said they don’t know what happened to the rest. Concerned about the remaining three bears, the Laos government and the charity visited the farm and convinced the owner to hand over the bears and close the farm, Mabin added.
Banner image of the rescued bears, courtesy of Free the Bears.
