Bear Sanctuaries

We operate bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam where bears are rehabilitated and cared for and where our bear teams gather vital evidence of the effects of bile extraction.Our world-class bear rescue centres in Chengdu, China and in Tam Dao and Bach Ma in Vietnam provide the bears with comfortable dens and semi-natural enclosures where they are able to recover in safety and spend the remaining years of their lives in the company of other bears. To date we have rescued nearly 700 bears.

During their rehabilitation at the rescue centres, the bears’ behaviour and well-being are closely monitored by our bear teams through regular health checks and daily observations. This not only ensures that the bears receive the best care possible, but also enables our staff to gather vital scientific evidence on the physical and psychological effects of bile extraction. Reports and papers published by our teams have helped to raise the profile of the moon bear within the scientific community and to increase public awareness of the terrible cruelty involved in the bear bile farming industry.

Our sanctuaries also provide direct employment for over 250 Chinese and Vietnamese people in areas such as bear care, horticulture, food preparation and security. Several hundred local people are employed indirectly through services and construction.