It’s a practice that sounds so barbaric that you assume it would have been outlawed at least a century ago. And yet, South Korea is only just now, as of January 1, 2026, getting around to pulling the plug on its most disgusting and cruel tradition: bear bile farming.
Bear bile has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. It contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) which is known to be useful for treating liver and gallbladder conditions in humans. But there are over 30 synthetic and herbal alternatives to bear bile that are just as effective, many of which we grow in our Vietnam sanctuary’s herb garden. Alongside Animals Asia’s work in rescuing bears from bile farms and working with the government to close the industry, we run outreach programs to engage with the traditional medicine community and users of bear bile to promote herbal alternatives.
SAVING BEARS... 