PLEDGE: Join the movement opposing all cruelty to moon bears, from bile farms to circuses

Bear bile farming has left moon bear populations depleted as thousands suffer lifetimes of suffering. Take the pledge to end this cruelty.

Moon bears are the most exploited bear species on the planet, listed as Appendix 1 “most endangered” by CITES and have become effectively extinct in many countries, including Vietnam.

While habitat loss is a major factor in falling populations, by far the greatest cause for the demise of moon bears is their unfortunate standing as the bear of choice for the bear bile industry.

Animals Asia Founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE said:

“Moon bears are being exploited on a mass scale. Literally thousands are taken from the wild and are held in the cruellest captivity for their entire lives. For most bears this can be over a decade of emptiness and pain which wreaks severe psychological and physical damage that will ultimately kill them. For the unluckiest bear, this unending torture can continue for up to 30 years. It’s a level of cruelty quite beyond comprehension.”

Moon bear bile has the highest levels of ursodeoxycholic acid, making their bile a prized ingredient in traditional medicine.

Despite the wide availability of synthetic and herbal alternatives, around 12,000 moon bears are currently believed to be held in extreme captivity across Asia, suffering regular bile extraction for the traditional medicine industry.

The extraction of bear bile from live bears causes unimaginable suffering and long-term psychological and physical health problems as each bear is held in a tiny barren cage.

While some bile farm moon bears have been known to endure this cruelty for up to 30 years, most farmed bears are starved, dehydrated and suffer from multiple diseases and malignant tumours that ultimately kill them within a decade.

Multiple reports by Animals Asia, Traffic and Free the Bears have proven that bear bile farming, once touted as a tool to aid conservation, has had a catastrophic effect on wild populations.

But there is hope. Animals Asia is at the heart of a global movement against bear bile farming, having pioneered opposition to the industry since 1998.

The charity runs two award-winning sanctuaries and has rescued over 600 bears in Vietnam in China.

Decades of work has led to Animals Asia becoming the official partner of the Vietnamese government tasked with rescuing every bear and closing every farm in the country by 2022.

Moon bears desperately need our help. They are the most playful, but also the most exploited bear on Earth and none of their suffering is necessary.

No bear should have to suffer endless bile extraction for traditional medicine or endure a lifetime of cruelty for a moment’s entertainment on a circus stage.

Stand up against cruelty to moon bears, whether for traditional medicine or the entertainment industry. Sign the pledge to join the global movement against cruelty to moon bears and join thousands of #MoonBearHeroes pushing for change.