In 2005, there were more than 4,300 bears discovered on hundreds of farms across Vietnam. Bears were hunted from the wild and sold to farms, where they were confined to incredibly small cages and made to endure painful extractions of bile from their gallbladders for the remainder of their lives.
Since 2005, ENV has been working side-by-side with the government, law enforcement, and our NGO partners to phase out bear farming in Vietnam. As part of our strategy, ENV works to ensure that all unregistered bears are confiscated and transferred to rescue centers, and that the owners are strictly punished in accordance with the law if found keeping unregistered bears or engaging in bear bile-related illegal activities. ENV has also been running massive public awareness campaigns across the country, aimed at helping the public understand the cruel realities of bear bile farming, and the need for their support in ending the practice in Vietnam. Additionally, ENV has worked with relevant ministries to strengthen the law and close loopholes that have been continuously exploited by criminals and bear owners.
As of September 2023, after more than a decade of hard work, there are only 219 bile bears left on farms, a 95% reduction since 2005, and a total of 45 provinces have achieved bear farm-free status.
ENV is still urging bear owners to voluntarily transfer their bears so they can live in a species-specific refuge where they will have a far higher quality of life. We continue to focus on bear farm hotspots, especially Hanoi, where more than half of the remaining bears are kept on bile farms.
While the end is near, the fight is not yet over, and we will continue to push until the last remaining bile bear gets a better life at a rescue center. You can help us make it happen!