In South Korea, over 1,400 Asian Black Bear’s (Moon Bears) are kept in captivity on bile farms. Bile is the digestive juice found in the liver and bladder of bears. It is typically used as a medicine believed to reduce fever, improve eye site and help protect the liver and body from illness. Moon bears are kept in small and squalid cages until they reach 10 years old after which they are slaughtered. Not surprisingly, bears undergo extreme psychological problems which result in injury, severe depression and repetitive behaviours. The physical constraints of a cage that measures 7.9 cm x 130cm x 200cm is immense and bears are only able to stand up and turn around. The premature death rate on these farms is incredibly high with many bears dying from severe injury and illness. 

Although South Korean law prohibits live bears from having their bile extracted, the cruel process still continues.  According to The Humane Society of the United States, bear bile is extracted around 2 times a day and methods of extraction can vary. One such method is inserting a steel/ metal caterer inside the bear to extract 10-20 ML of bile. This caterer is pushed inside the abdomen and attached to the gall bladder while a plastic bag is placed in front of the abdomen by attaching it to a permanent metal harness which is left inside the animal. This process is so excruciating that bears will shake in pain, clench their teeth and bite themselves. Another cruel method is milking the bear through an implanted tube attached to the bears abdomen. No aesthetic is provided to the  bears during the ‘milking’ process and extraction is often carried out by untrained technicians. 

South Korea recently hosted the G20 summit so now is a crucial time to appeal to South Korea to stop all bile farming. The South Korean government has seriously considered a ban on bear farming but it has appealed to animal welfare organisations to help find a way to end the trade and ensure the bears have somewhere to go once freed. Please sign this petition asking the South Korean government to end the bile trade.