Work starts to rehabilitate 130 bile-farmed bears

Peace by Piece, the name given to Animals Asia’s project to transform the Nanning Flower World bear bile farm in China into the Nanning Bear Rescue Centre, has begun and the first changes to the bears’ lives have been implemented.

This landmark campaign aims to help rescue and rehabilitate over 130 moon bears that have been kept in horrendous conditions – many trapped in tiny cages from birth and farmed for their bile. The farmer had bred the bears and extracted their bile for years, but had a change of heart when his daughter convinced him of the horrible cruelty of the trade. Animals Asia took over custody and care of the bears, leasing the land and facilities. This will be the largest rescue of its kind in the world and one important aspect will be helping to train the ex-farm workers, who have no experience of animal welfare, into first-class bear carers.

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Bear bile farms are bad for wild bears

Bear bile farming poses ongoing threat to wild bear conservation

September 2012. According to experts, the existence of bear bile farms has not reduced the pressure on wild bear populations. Instead, confiscation records indicate that cubs are routinely taken from the wild, especially from Southeast Asia, to stock bear farms, which supply much of the medicines and products in demand throughout Asia.

The issue of bear farms will be on the agenda at next month's IUCN World Conservation Congress in Korea after a motion to phase out commercial bear bile farming was tabled for debate at the meeting.

Wild bears continue to be sourced for the extraction of bile
"The term ‘farm' is a misleading one, as it implies the bears are being bred and that the trade may be sustainable" says Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and co-chair of the trade expert team of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group. "This is absolutely not the case and wild bears continue to be sourced for the extraction of bile."

Bear populations are in decline in the bear-farming countries in Southeast Asia and China
Rising prices of wild cubs on the black market indicate a high demand. At the same time, surveys have found that that farms in Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam show low success in breeding bears. Breeding records on Chinese farms are not available to corroborate the claim that they are self-sustaining. There is little evidence to support claims that farms relieve pressure on wild bear populations, given bear populations are in decline in the bear-farming countries in Southeast Asia and China.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/bear-bile-farm.html#cr