Chinese

bear farming

by Victor Watkins & Hsieh Yi (MA)

 CHINESE BEAR FARMING

Contents
SUMMARY
PHOTOGRAPHS

INTRODUCTION 1-2
1. Background 1
2. Methods and Objectives 2

FINDINGS ON CHINESE BEAR FARMING 3-14

1. Basic Data:
Numbers of bear farms and individual animals 3
Bile and products 4

2. Animal Welfare Conditions

Cages & housing 4
Unnatural life circle 5
Health care 6
Extraction of bile 7
Mortality 8

3. The Impact of Bear Farms on Bear Conservation

Increased poaching of wild bears 8
Stimulation of global trade 9

4. Questionable Registration and Control of Bear Farms 11

5. Far From A Traditional Cure 12

6. Illegal International Trade of Bile Products 13

CONCLUSION 15

DATA ON VISITED FARMS 17-29

REFERENCE 30

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Summary
• Bear “farming” began in China in the early 1980s. Today over 7000 bears are kept in poor
conditions in these farms. WSPA conducted inspections of bear farms between 1999 and
2000 and found bears mainly confined in small cages, where they are milked for their bile
and suffer stress, injuries, infections and a high mortality rate.
• Chinese authorities claim that some bear farms have reached the CITES criteria for a
captive breeding facility and have met animal welfare standards but this fact is far from the
truth.
• Bears are still caught from the wild to supply farms in China. Farms questioned did not
deny obtaining wild bears. Some farms breed bears, and there is an attempt to breed to a
third generation which could be used to allow international trade in bear bile under CITES
regulations.
• The marketing of bear bile products is fuelling an increased demand in these products
around the world, which is resulting in more wild bears being killed for this lucrative trade.
• Despite the widespread availability of herbal and synthetic alternatives to bear bile, farmed
bile is used to make a variety of Chinese medicinal products. Before 1980 the total demand
for bear gall bladder for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was only 500 kilos per year,
yet by 1996 China was producing 7000 kilos of bear bile at these farms.
• The farms are clearly overproducing purely for considerable profit. They produce such a
massive excess of bear bile that they need to fabricate different types of inessential bile
products (shampoos, wine etc.) in order to stimulate sales. China wants to export its excess
bile stocks to an international market, which the WSPA feels would perpetuate the
suffering of bears in farms and would also put further pressure on the world’s wild bear
population as new markets for bear products develop.

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Introduction
1. Background
The use of bear gall bladders, bile and parts can be traced back 3000 years in the history of
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It has been used in over 80 prescriptions. Bear gall
bladder or bile is used in TCM to prevent and reduce fever, heat and inflammation and is
believed to have an efficacy of protecting the liver, improving eyesight, and breaking down
gallstones. It was also well known as a specific remedy for chronic hepatitis in Chinese custom.

In 1984, people in Mainland China started bear farming. They poached bears from the wild
and kept bears in small cages. They conducted operations and extracted bear bile from their
gall bladders, in order to obtain bile for making medicines. The authorities and bear farm
owners also claimed that a bear kept in a farm and milked for 5 years of production produces
bile equivalent to 220 wild bears poached for their gall bladders. Periodically, in 1991 Mills &
Servheen visited the bear farms and lifted the secret veil on Chinese bear farming. Mills, J.A.
& Servheen, C. 1991 The Asian Trade in Bears and Bear Parts

After their visit, in 1993-1994 various international animal protection and wildlife conservation
groups conducted several investigations. They exposed the animal cruelty and inhumane
conditions for bears in those farms, which created massive public concern in the west.

Over the past few years, several changes have been made to the bear farm industry. First the
number of small operations, which were criticized the most and which had the cruellest
conditions for the bears decreased in number. Second, bear bile products were banned from
export to any other country, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. Finally, all bear farms stopped
advertising their products in the media, which included radio, television, and newspapers.
These actions have had a certain influence on the bear farming industry in the last few years.

However, there is still great public concern about the Chinese bear farm issue. The current
development of Chinese bear farms is unclear. There is very little detail and information
available on bear farms, except from Chinese scholars who focus on defending the bear
farming development.

In addition, Chinese authorities also have long-term plans for their bear farming industry. It
has been reported that they are planning to register their bear farms under the CITES to be
able to export the bile products worldwide.

This report is attempting to discover whether bear farming is justified given the animal welfare
and conservation implications of this practice and given the current availability of synthetic
and herbal alternatives.

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2. Methods and Objectives

Through 1999 – 2000 WSPA conducted field investigations and visits to bear farms in China.
Housing facilities, bile extraction procedure, animal health and condition, the use of bears
from the wild, illegal trade in bear products, bile products and producing procedure and
pharmaceutical facilities were the major points to be studied and observed. Information was
also gained by contact with the farm management and senior staff. In addition, information
was also gathered from residents in the local regions or near the farming areas, and from
reviewing relevant papers and news articles.

The objectives of the study aim to:

1. Understand the current animal welfare conditions on bear farms
2. Understand recent developments in the bear farm industry in China
3. Collect information on the price of gall and bile products and types of products.
4. Collect information on consumption of bear bile products and understand who the
consumers are.
5. Understand the sales markets and international illegal trade of bear bile products and gall
bladders.
6. Understand what laws and regulations pertain to bear farms at national and provincial
levels and the status of law enforcement.

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Findings on Chinese bear farming

The following texts are the major findings based on the investigation and study, but also
represent the concerns of the issue.

1. Basic Data:

Numbers of bear farms and individual animals

There are three bear species in China, but the Asiatic black bear is the main species kept in
Chinese bear farms. The three species included are: Asian black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus),
brown bear (Ursus arctos), and sun bear (Helarctos malayanus).

Chinese bear farming started in 1984. According to the CITES Management Authority of
China (CNMA) and the Ministry of Forestry (MOF), there were 6,632 bears kept in 601 bear
farms in 1992, 7,642 individuals in 481 bears farms in 1996, and 7,002 individuals in 247 farms
in 1998. Fan, Z. 1999, ‘The Development of Bear Farming in China” in “3rd International
Symposium on the Trade of Bear Parts” abstract booklet pp. 47

(See Table 1) This shows that the numbers of bear farms rapidly decreased during these years,
yet the number of captive bears increased slightly between 1992 and 1996. In 1999, the MOF
also stated there were 24 major bear farms, which each owned over 100 bears.

The field investigations and visits covered eleven bear farms in six provinces including the
southeast, southwest, and northeast regions which are the major areas for the bear farming
industry. Of these 11 farms, 2 owned over 600 bears each, 1 farm has around 300-350, 1 has
200-250, 4 have 100-150, 2 have 40-50 and 1 has under 10 bears. These 11 farms had 2200 –
2500 bears in total. The smallest number of bears in a farm visited during this study was 4 and
the largest was 700. The accuracy of numbers of bears in the farms can only be used for
reference, because different numbers were quoted in the same farm by different personal.
None of the farms could provide efficient record keeping, even though many bears have ear
tags. All the bear farms had their own patent and brand name for their bile powder and
products. Two farms shared the same brand name. Most farms claim they are approved by the
provincial authority and two claimed to be approved at State level.

Our research showed that there are different forms of products made from farmed bear bile.
These include: powders, capsules, ointments, tablets, tinctures, wines, suppositories, eye drops
and bile tea. Bear bile powder is the most common type of product and it is usually produced
and packaged by the bear farm itself. In order to avoid the bitter taste and strong smell, the
bile powder can also be put into capsules as an oral medicine. The owners of farms all claimed

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that both types of products are 100% pure bile and are not mixed with any other Chinese
medicine. Other bear bile products are produced by pharmaceutical companies, which could
also be a sub-company of the bear farm.

In general, the price of pure bear bile powder is higher than any other form of bile products.
4gm of bear bile powder, packed into 2 vial containers (2gm each), would cost around
RMB$100 - 150 (US$13-20). The cost of the product is high for the general public, when
compared to the middle and low level of income in China. For example, a worker in a
restaurant would earn around RMB$300 (US$40) per month. There are other types of
products containing smaller amounts of bear bile that only cost _ or _ of the price of pure
bear bile powder. This is also a reason why new and diverse forms of products are developed
and encouraged for the Chinese domestic market.

The bear gall bladder, bear bile powder and other forms of products are almost always sold in
pharmacies, which are mostly run by the State and which sell Chinese medicines and Western
medicines. In the pharmacies, the products are either recommended by shop assistants or
requested by customers. When investigators asked about the use of bear bile products and
when they should be taken, the answers were always “to reduce inflammation, fever and
various usage. Please read the instructions yourself. These are really powerful and useful
products.” However, clear answers to what type of diseases these medicines were for and
what would be the correct daily dose of medicine were not provided by the pharmacies.
Through the investigation it seems as if the task of selling the medicine is more important
than curing the disease. The products also seemed to be used as human health supplements.

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2. The Animal Welfare Condition

Cages & housing

Most bear farms visited, claimed to have attempted to change their method of housing bears.
In general, bear cubs have a better housing environment before reaching the age when they
can be milked of their bile. These cubs or young adult bears were either put in larger cages in
groups or left in outdoor concrete pens. Housing them in this way is done to ensure the cubs
grow faster and can be used to attract visitors, who can take photos and pet the cubs.

When bears are used for bile extraction they are kept in small cramped cages mainly 0.6 x 1.2
in size. In such a limited area the bears can hardly move, sit up or even turn around. Four bear
farms had a larger cage or a bigger outdoor enclosure behind the standard milking cages,
similar to the old type of zoo concrete pen, but the actual benefits to the bears are limited.
Even in these ‘model’ farms, injuries to the head, paws and back from repeated rubbing and
banging against the cage bars were present on many animals. The bears were clearly mentally
stressed due to the cramped conditions.

One of these four ‘model-government farms’ claims to have created the best housing facility
for farming bears. While the smallest cage is used for milking twice a day, a connecting cage
provides enough space for the bear to stand and turn. (See diagram 2) An outdoor space also
connects to the indoor cages, but in winter the temperature could drop to minus 30 degrees in
this region, and the outdoor area is closed for up to four months. The outdoor area is used
mainly for display rather than practical use. Some bears walk back and forth between two
indoor cages. Other bears bite the bars with their teeth or stick their paws out from between
the bars. Some of them also rub their bodies against the iron bars repeatedly. Stereotypic
behaviour clearly still occurs in bears held in these new cages.

This farm also invented a new shaped bile extraction cage, so workers do not need to kneel
underneath the cage to extract the bile (See diagram 3).

On another farm in the southern province, the outdoor concrete pen was directly connected
to the standard milking cages, so four or five bears share the same outdoor space. Not every
bear is free to access this area. Only two bears (mainly one male and female) are allowed to
access it each time to mate for breeding. We were told it would result in better reproductive
rates.

On every farm visited, the floor of the bears’ cages was constructed from iron bars, so that the
animals are denied the opportunity to stand or lie on firm ground. On average, a farm
compound has 30 or more cages.

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On most farms, a poor diet is provided. Corn mash, apples, tomatoes or sugar mixed in water
was found to be the major food source, which is not sufficient without vitamin and mineral
supplements. The bears are fed twice a day to stimulate bile production and extraction. Only
one farm in Heilongjiang Province mentioned that extra supplements were provided.

Unnatural life circle

The cubs are taken away from their mother when they are 2 – 3 months old, which
undoubtedly causes stress as bear cubs normally stay with their mothers for 2 – 3 years in the
wild. Bear cubs are taught to stand on their hind paws, handstand and carry chairs etc. This
was claimed to get the cubs used to human contact, which would help with the milking
process. Petting and taking photos with cubs is also encouraged in order to motivate visitors
to buy the bile products.

Three farms have planned to train the cubs for circus-style performances, and intensive
training is undertaken in preparation for the summer season. These circus-style performances
are seen as a new way of making profit from bears in the bear farming industry. In China,
many zoos and safari parks already use bears to perform circus acts such as walking on tight
rope, throwing a ball, riding a bicycle, and even boxing. The life of performance can be ended
when bears is one and half years old.

Once a bear reaches two and half or three years old, they are used for bile extraction.
Between three or four years old they may also be used for breeding. The adult bears used to
supply bile are kept in the small cages, where stereotypic behaviour is demonstrated
repeatedly. Some bears shook their head continually and others bit the bars of the cages.
Obviously, the animals’ natural behaviour and basic needs have not been considered in the
farms. Despite winter temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees in northern China, farmers
enforce unnatural behaviour by not allowing their bears to hibernate.

When a bear can no longer produce sufficient bile, they are usually put in another cage, where
they wait, either until death comes through sickness or they are killed for their paws and gall
bladders. Three bear farms stated that bears’ paws could also be cut off if the customers
requested fresh paw.

Bear paw is eaten as delicacy in China and South East Asia, and the sale provides an
additional income for farms. Fresh bear paw was offered at two farms for 2,000 RMB
(US$250). In one four star hotel in Shenyang City, a bear paw dish was on the menu for 3,800
– 4,000 RMB (US$470). Since there is no effective enforcement of wildlife conservation law in
China and also the sale of farmed bears’ gall bladders is not well defined in the law,
pharmacies are able to sell gall bladders either whole or cut into pieces.

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The life expectancy of bears in farms is unknown, each bear farm gave different information.

Bears on farms are treated merely as economic animals for money making, and their value as
a wildlife resource and their natural behaviour patterns are totally dismissed.

Health care
Most of the surgery to enable bile extraction is not done by veterinarians. The operations are
usually conducted by the farm owners or the senior staff who admitted they had no veterinary
training. Three farms in northern Provinces claim they have veterinarian technicians who
study either in livestock or agriculture department.

Sick animals were found in 9 bear farms, although some of the farms claimed they had
veterinary technicians. Bears were seen with inflamed and bleeding wounds, open incisions for
bile extraction and tumour swellings in the abdominal area. Bears could be seen with wounds
or scars to the face, head, paws and back because of friction caused by containment in small
cages. In 2 farms, a constant stream of bile seeped from the stomachs of bears, where an
opening had been made through to their gall bladders. In some farms sick bears lay
recumbent without movement.

Five of the farms visited have no veterinarians working full time although they may have over
100 bears in the farm. Most of the farms also have no contract with local vets to check and
examine the animals. When animals are ill, they are given some drugs by the owners or senior
staffs. But when the drugs do not cure the illness there are no further treatments and it is
common to leave the animals to die.

Extraction of bile
Bile is extracted once or twice a day either in the morning or evening. At the largest farm in
this study, extraction can be conducted four times a day. The number of times depends on how
high the market demand is. If there is a lack of stock, the extraction process will be conducted
twice a day. At the moment, the farms which we visited only extract once a day. It is usually
between 9:00 - 10:00 in the morning and 4:00 - 5:00 in the evening. The extractions usually
follow the staff members’ working hours and about 8 - 20ml can be extracted at once from
each bear.

According to the Chinese wildlife protection law only second generation captive bears can be
used for bile extraction. However, all the farms we visited did not seem to follow those
regulations. Most bears are milked for bile as long as they are able to produce it. All the bears
were used for bile extraction, regardless of how old they were and where they came from,

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until they stopped producing it. When their bile production gets too low these bears could be
sold to zoos.

Bile is secreted by the liver via the hepatic duct and stored in the gall bladder. During feeding,
bile passes through the common bile duct into the duodenum to aid digestion.
It is therefore likely that more bile can be “milked” during feeding time at the bear farms. On
one farm it was observed that almost every bear was stressed and in discomfort, and they
were shaking their heads, hitting the cage and moaning after bile extraction.

In one farm the liquid bile was put directly into vials for sale. The bile pigment can be
between a yellow and dark brown colour. In general, bile poured into flat containers and is
dried in ovens for 24-36 hours to produce concentrated bile crystals.

Mortality
It is common for the bears to undergo more than one surgical operation, when bile extraction
is not successful. Repeat operations also cause inflammation and high mortality rate.

During interviews with Chinese specialists in bear farming techniques it was reported that for
every two successful bile fistula implantations there are another two to three bear deaths, due
to complications and infections. The mortality rate for this operation is therefore 50% to
60%. It was also claimed that the mortality rate has been reduced during recent years as it
used to be around 70% and 80%. In addition a bear’s life span also becomes much shorter
after the operation.

Although bear farms claim the breeding rate is getting higher, they still have a problem with
bear cubs being eaten by their new mothers. On many occasions, the mothers even eat their
own paws. In the wild, this behaviour is rare, and suggests that the mother is under severe
stress. All of the bear breeders emphasised how breeding poses the biggest problem in the
business, which is contradictory to claims by the Chinese government that the breeding rate is
good enough for self-maintenance of stock.

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3. The Impact of Bear Farms on Bear Conservation

Increased poaching of wild bears
The Chinese claim that bear farming does not adversely affect wild bear populations, as they
no longer need to take bears from the wild for the gall bladder trade, and also that farms are
self-sustaining through breeding bears.

However, these claims are questionable. According to the law in China, when selling,
purchasing and utilising class II protected wildlife the application has to be made and
approved by the provincial authorities. Additionally the law also authorises the breeding
farms of state-priority protected wildlife to sell the animals and their products to the state
approved units. See Chinese Wildlife Conservation Law (WCL) article 22

Based on the above two conditions, bear gall bladders are openly sold in pharmacies. The gall
bladders from wild or captive bears could not be differentiated over the counter. This enables
the illegal trade of wild bear parts to be conducted as they could be described as coming from
bear farms.

During the investigation, bear gall bladders were seen on display for sale in pharmacies in
Zhuhai and Guangzhou. It costs US$6.5/gram. In Zhuhai, a pharmacist even insisted that the
gall bladder was from a wild bear from India. The pharmacies are mostly state run or well
connected with the local authorities. In Guangzhou and Chengdu wild bear gall bladders
could be ordered by special arrangement.

It is a common belief in China that the gall bladder from a wild bear is the most potent and
bile from captive bears is considered to be inferior. So it is clear that the availability of bile
from bear farms will not decrease the demand for wild bear gall bladder.

Due to high mortality rates in bear farms, bears are continuously poached in Vietnam,
Myanmar, Laos, India, Thailand, and smuggled into southeast China to farms. In Yunan and
Kuangshi Province bear cubs can be sold to the farms for 2000-3000RMB (US$280 – 400). The
financial incentive for hunting bears is high, as by comparison, a restaurant worker in China
earns around RMB$300 (US$40) per month.

The Chinese government has confiscated all guns from the public to show their determination
to stop poaching. However, this doesn’t seem to have been effective. During investigations in
different provinces, we asked local people who live near areas with Asiatic black bear and
brown bear populations, what their views were on the government’s action. They said it had
not been very effective or useful. One local driver said “If I needed a gun to shoot a wild
animal tomorrow, I could easily get it without any problems.”

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Bears are still hunted from the wild, and sold to farms. We asked all the bear farms whether
they still get the bears from the wild or from neighbouring countries. None of them denied it.
They stated that the numbers of bears from the wild are not as much as before, but that it is
still one of the resources used to supply new blood for the farm.

In 1997 the Ministry of Forestry (MOF) stated that there were 61,700 bears including 46,530
Asiatic black bear in China, but the Bear Conservation Action Plan published by IUCN lists
the number of Asiatic black bears in China at fewer than 20,000 individuals. See FanZ., 1997
‘Bear Present Status and Conservation, and Bear Farms of China’ in Proceeding 2nd Int.
Symposium on Trade of Bear Parts, Rose. D. A. & Gasaki, A. L. Eds. pp. 5; and
Servheen, C. et. al, 1999, Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan, IUCN, Glad,
Switzerland & Cambridge UK, pp. 200

This indicates that the true bear population in the wild is unclear. There is no documented
research to prove that keeping bears in confinement in farms can benefit the protection of
bears in the wild, but the negative effects have been shown on the global scale.

Stimulation of global trade

Not only does the bear farming industry stimulate the poaching of bears in China, but it also
threatens wild bear populations globally. As a TRAFFIC bulletin stated:

“There is also fear that widespread availability of farmed bear bile at low prices will stimulate
demand not only from farmed bile but also for the gall bladders of wild bears.” Traffic
Bulletin, New Information on East Asia’s market for Bear Gall Bladders, Mills, J. A. Eds.,
1997, March, Vol. 16, No. 3. pp. 108

In fact, several cases demonstrate that China has become one of the main consumer countries
for bears in the Asian Region. During an international environmental conference held in
Cambodia in February 2000, an official claimed that the growing wildlife trade is driving many
species, such as the sun bear, towards extinction. In the country, rural military and police
commanders are suspected of supporting the illegal trade in tigers, snakes and turtles and
Asian sun bears. Wildlife officers have little power to make arrests without risking their lives.
While poor Cambodians hunt for subsistence, wildlife poachers are meeting the demands of
the country’s domestic market and the market abroad in Japan, China, and South Korea.

In the beginning of 2000, a Chinese officer with the Yunan Department of Forest Police
claimed “Many animals were confiscated from border-crossing dealers who brought animals
and animal parts into the country”. Xinhua News Agency on 3 March, 2000

With an abundance of wild animals, in recent years, Yunan has become a hotbed of poaching

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and other illegal activities involving endangered species.

Bear farming in China also has created an adverse example for global bear conservation.
Legitimising Chinese bear farming facilities and bear bile trade would only create more
negative effects on the wild bear population worldwide. The countries near China, which still
have bear populations in the wild will start to imitate China, and will argue that since China is
profiting from bears, they should also be able to profit. Vietnam is an example of this disaster
for wild bear populations.

In Vietnam, at least 500 bears are kept in captivity in bear farms. These bears have been
caught illegally from the wild. In the beginning of March 2000 Vietnam’s Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) stated “If we do not stop the holding and
raising of bears in captivity, wild bears will be extinct in very near future. Bear bile can fetch
up to VND200,000 ($14,20) per millilitre.” The Vietnam Investment Review, March 14, 2000

This will also push countries like Korea into this global dilemma. Korea has banned bear
farming since the early 1990s. Bear farms are not allowed to sell or trade bear parts and bile
in the country, but they still hold over 1,000 bears. Existing Korean bear farms still expect
trade to be allowed in the near future, according to bear farm owners at the 3rd Bear Trade
Symposium in Seoul, Korea.

There is evidence of bears being killed in North America, Asia and even in South America for
their gall bladders to sell to Asian medicine markets. As Christopher Servheen of the IUCN
Bear Specialist Group pointed out, these cases show that:

“Increased commercial demand (for bear bile) will in turn increase profit potential, with a
resulting increased demand for bear for use on farms. Some of this increase could come from
captive breeding, but some would also likely be satisfied by capture of live bears from the
wild. … In summary, bear farming will likely increase and legitimise the use of a product that
will continue to come from wild bears and therefore negatively impact on their populations.”
Servheen, C. 1995, ‘Bear farms and the impact on bear populations’, in Proceeding 2nd Int.
Symposium on Trade of Bear Parts, Rose. D. A., & Gaski, A.L. Eds. pp. 31

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4. Questionable Registration and Control of Bear Farms

The Chinese authority, the Ministry of Forestry (MOF), stated that there were 601 bear farms
in 1992 (with 6,632 bears), 481 bear farms in 1996 (with 7,643 bears), and 247 farms (with
7,002 bears) in 1999. Z. Fan, 1999, ‘The Development of Bear Farming in China’, pp. 47

Also, in a 1999 report on commonly bred species, provided to the CITES 15th Animal
Committee meeting, the MOF quoted that there were 115 bear breeding operations (with
7,126 bears) in China. The Doc. AC. 15.9.2 was prepared by CITES Secretariat. The
Secretariat received information on commonly bred species from the Management
Authorities in many countries which included China.

This shows that there is clearly some confusion as to the true figures in this industry.

All bear farms should be registered with the authorities. However, the investigations
indicated that there were no inspectors to enforce the law and examine bear farms, so the
central authorities only estimate these numbers by telephone surveys to the provincial or
municipal authorities to get rough numbers of bear farms. It should be noted that to register a
farm as a bear breeding operation and to be granted a licence could mean a huge cost for the
farm. So the smaller bear farms try to avoid registration.

Besides registering as a breeding operation, the bear farm needs to apply for a trading licence
to sell the bile and also needs pharmaceutical permission to sell the bile as medicine to the
public. As mentioned above, these licences mean more costs for the bear farm owners. It
appears that many of the smaller farms sell their bile to larger farms which do have trading
and pharmaceutical licences.

The smallest farm we visited, having four bears, uses the same packing and patent as a larger
bear farm which owns 100 bears. When the investigator questioned the owner of this small
farm he explained that he shared the registration fees for the pharmaceutical licence with the
larger farm, so he can use the same patent with the larger farm. Even though the licence was
issued to the larger farm, this unlicensed small farm can still package and sell products to the
pharmacies. At another farm near Chengdu, the owner claimed that he provides the
unpackaged bile crystal powder to north-eastern China, so it is packed under another
companies’ patent and package.

In the past two decades China has witnessed spectacular and rapid economic growth,
following Deng Xiaoping’s four modernisations to attract more foreign investment into the
country. In other words, the country is money oriented towards everything; the bear farming
industry is not exceptional. Bears are treated as farm animals, and they are exploited as much
as possible. Meanwhile, Chinese people use endangered species as delicacies or as medicine.

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Bear bile contains an active constituent known as UrsoDeoxyCholic Acid (UDCA). In order
to prevent sale of fake medicine and control the quality, the bile products should be sent to
the Health Department to be tested for the medicine registration and also quality examined
annually. According to the farm owners, the percentage of UDCA contained in their bile
products is higher and the quality is better. Two bear farms showed us the original state
approved certificate for mass production of bile powder and products and four bear farms
claimed their products had won the award for top quality bile at state and provincial levels.

The official certificates and awards for the farms’ only prove that the bile powders are not
fake. They do not relate to the animal welfare, hygiene and management standards. For
example. at a bear farm in Sichuan province the owner was proud of his products and the
quality, but the farm’s animal welfare, hygiene and pharmaceutical facilities are absolutely
appalling. In this farm bears are kept in very small cages and the inside of the compound was
full of dirt and dust. After extraction, the fresh bile was filtered in this dusty area and then
dried in a stove. After 24-36 hours the dry bile powder is put into vials.

Through the information we gained it is clear that there is lack of effective monitoring of this
system and inspection of bear farms.

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5. Far From a Traditional Cure

The Chinese continuously claim that the use of bear gall bladder and bile products are part of
the culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Before 1980 the market demand for bear
gall bladder used in TCM in China was only 500 kilos per year. Chang, H.S., 1996, Eds. Data
Collection for Endangered Wildlife Products in TCM, TRAFFIC Taipei

However, the output of dry bile powder in farms has risen dramatically to 7000 kilos per year
from 1996 to 1998, of which only 4000 kilos could be consumed each year by China. There is
therefore a large stockpile of bear bile in farms – another reason why the farmers desperately
want to expand into an international market.

In fact, TCM in China has never demanded such a massive amount of bear bile and gall
bladders. So if, before 1980, TCM only required 500 kilos of bear bile to satisfy the needs in
China for a whole year, why is the annual production in bear farms currently up to 7000 kilos
per year? Why are there so many new and superfluous bear bile products on the market such
as bear bile wine, eye drops, liquor, ointment, oils, tinctures, suppositories, shampoos etc. It is
clear that the quantities of bear bile produced are far in excess of medicinal need in China.

These new products are not demanded by the public, nor are they prescribed in high volume
by TCM practitioners. The truth is that they are promoted by the bear farms and
pharmaceutical manufacturers purely for considerable commercial profit. They produce such
a massive excess of bear bile that they need to fabricate different types of products in order to
stimulate the market and consumption.

There are perfectly adequate and cheaper synthetic products on the market which contain the
active constituent of bear bile i.e. UrsoDeoxyCholic Acid (UDCA). It is estimated that
100,000 kilos of synthesised UDCA are already being consumed each year in China, Japan
and South Korea, and the world consumption may be double this figure. Masakazu Sano.
Tokyo Tanabe Co. ‘UDCA is not only a substitute for bear bile’.

Many Chinese practitioners also state that there are at least 75 herbal alternatives which can
replace the use of bear bile.‘The herbal alternatives to bear bile in Chinese Medicine’ by The
Association of Chinese Medicine and Philosophy EarthCare Society (Hong Kong),1994

Scholars of TCM claim that herbal alternatives can replace bear bile in TCM. More and more
of these practitioners claim they now use herbal alternatives due to their efficacy and due to
the concern over animal suffering.

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6. Illegal International Trade of Bile Products

China claims they are not exporting bear parts or products containing bear bile and gall
outside of Mainland China. Since the bears in China are Appendix I species, any export would
violate the CITES and Chinese Law. In actual fact these products have been found on sale in
many countries. Bear farms replied to our investigators that they do export their products to
Asian regions, e.g. Japan, Philippines, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. The products
are also found in the USA, Australia, Canada, and UK.

Bear bile and products were found for sale at Kuming and Guangzhou international airports.
This violated Chinese officials’ statement to the CITES 13th Animal Committee meeting
where the MOF reported that the sale of bear bile in China’s international airports had been
stopped. Mills, J. A. et al. “New information on east Asia’s Market for Bear Gall Bladder” in
Traffic Bulletin, March 1997, Volume 16, No. 3

In the Chosen Autonomy District, Chilin Province, bile products are sold in the domestic
airport. Korean tourists or businessmen can buy the products from the airport and carry it out
of the country on their way back to Seoul. The northern area near the border with Korea has
become a major area providing the Korean consumer market with bear bile products and gall
bladder.

It is clear that bear bile products are not only carried out of China by individuals, but dealers
regularly smuggle bear bile from China into Asian regions. In 1998 a businessman illegally
imported 25.5 kilos of bear bile crystal powder to Taiwan. This was mixed with other
medicines on a shipping container from China. The person admitted he regularly smuggled
bile products to supply TCM pharmacies in Taiwan. In Manila and the Philippines, Chinese
bear bile products are sold in most Chinese traditional medicine shops. By random sampling,
9 of 11 shops were found to sell bile crystal powder. This supply is regularly imported into the
country. In south Korea, the customs confiscated 106 kilos of bear bile powder in 1998.

Because of the excessive production of bear bile products, the Chinese government and bear
farmers want to eliminate the ban on international trade under CITES. The MOF claimed
that some of the Chinese farms have reached the CITES criteria for captive breeding of
Appendix I species, so the government is likely to put the proposal to the CITES Secretariat
in the near future.

However, full enforcement of CITES’ regulations needs to be actively implemented in order

to prevent the illegal international trade of bile products from China to other countries. The
authorities need to present documents to CITES detailing the enforcement of its domestic
and international control on the trade in bear bile, and products containing bear bile
derivatives.

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CONCLUSION
The bear farming industry causes large-scale suffering to thousands of captive bears and
increases the demand for the slaughter of wild bears. It is also of concern that the next step
could be the opening of international sales of Chinese farmed bear bile. This could never be
justified. The attempts to improve standard at government model farms have not alleviated
even basic animal welfare problems. The bear farming industry in China should be brought to
an end as soon as is feasible.

Bear farming is over-producing a product which China has continuously portrayed as being
essential for TCM. The truth is that an excess of bile is produced and the majority of farmed
bile is used in non-essential non-TCM products, and that there are already massive sales of
synthetic products and herbal alternative which can be used in place of bear bile in TCM
products.

The farming industry and farmers are not only eager to expand their market and business, but
also expect to eliminate the ban on international trade. Farms are preparing for a larger scale
of marketing by producing a variety of bile products and increasing the number of animals.
From the farmers’ point of view, they all believe that the market for bile products will be
expanded in the future.

Due to the affects farming has on bear conservation globally and the concerns of animal
welfare, bear farming is different to other business in China. Chinese authorities should
actively discourage bear farming. Strict monitoring of the bear farming industry should be
undertaken by the government. Bear farms should be open to international inspections, in
order to assess the conservation impacts of bear farming on wild bear populations and the
standards of animal welfare.

Campaigns to support wildlife conservation, animal welfare and promotion of humane

education to the public should take place in China. There also needs to be direct and open
discussion between authorities, farmers and international NGOs on the subject.

The use of captive breeding facilities as a method of supplying the global market for CITES
listed endangered species, such as bears, for use in traditional medicine, should not be
encouraged and approved. Research into alternative products should be supported and
developed.

WSPA urges all the CITES Parties to consider WSPA’s findings and to reject any proposal for
international trade of Chinese bear bile and products. CITES should ensure that animal
welfare standards are incorporated into proposed guidelines for the registration captive
breeding facilities. Parties to CITES should take all efforts to prohibit the international and

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domestic trade in bear parts and derivatives.

The Chinese authorities should undertake a review of conservation laws aimed at protecting
bears in the wild and fully enforce appropriate protection measures. All parties to cites should
provide full documentation of national legislation relating to the control of the trade in bear
products and give an assessment of the effectiveness of this legislation.

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Data on visited farms

Location South-western Province area; near the Burmese border
Owners State run
Years Established 1988
No. & Species of bear 100 bears including Asiatic black bears and sun bears
Type of Products Bear bile powder, tincture, wine, oil
Enclosure Typical milking cage
No. Of Employee 18
Veterinary Care No Resident veterinarian
Breeding Policy No breeding programme and facility

Remarks:
11 Most of their bears were hunted from either Myanmar (Burma) or in the local province.
12 There were around 250 bears in the past. Business has reduced and so the number of
bears has been reduced. The farm also employed around 200 people previously.
13 They produce 500 kg bile annually.
14 When bears die, their gall bladder, skin and paws are utilised.
15 The farm also sold bear cub or bears to the zoo(for around US$260) if they could not
provide any more bile.
16 The saleswoman said that the best gall bladders came from black bears. Brown bears are
the second best quality, and finally sun bears.
17 Most of their customers are tourists who travel to the area.
18 The farm also used to export their products to South Korea, but now it is forbidden. The
price was US$6.6/gm. The seller claimed that it should be no problem to export or carry
out the products out of the country, but they could not ensure the process. They could
only send the products to the farthest city – Guangzhou.
19 The bears are milked once or twice a day and each time between 8-15 gm of bile is gained
from each bear.

Location Located in a famous tourist city in Yunnan Province

Owners Private
Years Established 1986
No. & Species of bear Found around 80 bears in the farm, but the owner claimed that they
have 110 bears. Mainly Asiatic black bears and few sun bears.
Type of Products Bear bile powder, bile pill (tablet)
No. Of Employee 25
Enclosure Typical milking cage: 2 ft x 4 ft & outdoor area: 8 ft x 15 ft

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 CHINESE BEAR FARMING

Veterinary Care No resident veterinarian

Breeding Policy Breeding programme undertaken; found 2 bear cubs around 2 months old;
in two or three more years the third generations offspring will be bred.

Remarks:
20. The owner claimed that she is a TCM doctor had her own practice in the past.
21. Bile products are exported to Taiwan through a broker. Asian tourists visit the farm when
they travel to the city.
22. The bile extraction was demonstrated. After extracting most bears were moaning and
would bang their heads on the cages. The bears showed many signs of stress.
23. The owner said that she had a very good connection with the authorities and many high
ranking officials have also visited her farm, so they have approved these products.
24. The owner also told us that due to the CITES regulations, they have to wait until the third
generations of offspring are born. Afterward they will be able to export the products
abroad to Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. In two to three more years
when the third generations have been bred, the business will be able to expand.
25. A big show room is under construction, in order to attract package tours.
26. The abdominal areas of several bears were swollen where they were operated on for bile
production. The owners explained that there were some problems of implantation and
that the bile could not be extracted successfully so the bears had a second or third
operation. That was why their abdomens were swollen.

Location Outskirts of Kuming City

Owners State run
Years Established Unknown
No. & Species of bear 50 – 60 Asiatic black bears
Age & Sex Unknown
Type of Products Bear Bile Capsules
No. Of Employee Around 20 people in manufacture production line
Enclosure The cages are slightly higher than the standard milking cage so the bears can
stand up.
Veterinary Care No resident veterinarian
Breeding Policy No breeding programme and facility

Remarks:
27 There is one only building producing bear bile capsules and one compound keeps the
bears.
28 The manufacturer mainly produced bear bile capsules which contains a mix of bile with
other Chinese medicines. Around 20-30 people were working on the manufacture.

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29 There were around 50-60 bears kept in the building. The building was built with bricks and
didn’t have any windows on any sides. There are only several small holes in the wall. The
inside of the building was dark and smelled awful.
30 The height of their cages was slightly higher than the standard bear farming cage, so the
bear could stand up. One bear’s head seemed to be stuck between the bars and the bear
did not move for long time. Surprisingly, there are 6 dog kennels holding around 20 dogs
located in front of the bear building. Two people who were cutting up dog carcasses. They
said they rented the kennels, RMB$100 (US$13) per month and the dogs in the kennel
would be used as dog meat in their restaurant, which is located near the bear farm.
31 The bears would be milked every day around 10 o’clock.

Location Two hours away from Chengdu City, Sichuan Province

Owners State run
Years Established 1985
No. & Species of bear 350 Asiatic black bear; 100-150 milked for the bile
Type of Products & Prices Bear bile powder; bear bile suppositories
No. Of Employee Unknown
Enclosure Open concrete to keep bears, in order to attract tourists
Veterinary Care Resident veterinarian technicians
Breeding Policy Breeding programme undertaken

Remarks:
1. According to the information, the company was one of the biggest farms in the southern
province.
2. The farm is near a tourist spot in Sichuan Province.
3. There are also several hundred deer kept in the farm. The antler velvet and deer feet as
well as deer penises are also main products sold in the show room.
4. The bear farm has a big show room and car park and also a small hotel. According to the
workers, many tourist coaches stop at the farm so the tourists can buy the products.
5. Ten bears are kept in an open concrete yard. The area is used a show some of the bears, in
order to attract the tourists to purchase bear products. Bears were eagerly begging for food
from the visitors.
6. According to the previous reports on this farm, it had 450 bears in past, but there are now
around 350 bears. The workers claimed that the breeding centre and milking bears were
kept in another place.

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Location In a rural area, three – four hours away from Chengdu

Owners Private
Years Established 1984
No. & Species of bear 300 Asiatic black bear
Type of Products & Prices Bear bile powder; bear bile capsules
No. Of Employee Around 8 people
Enclosure 2 outdoor open concrete areas for cubs and young adult bears under 3 years old.
Standard bear farming cage to keep bears for bile extraction
Veterinary Care No resident veterinarian
Breeding Policy Poorly controlled breeding methods; no separate denning for pregnant
females

Remarks:
32 The owner owned a small family-run pharmacy in the centre of town and the breeding
farm is located in rural countryside.
33 Bear bile powders and other products were displayed in his shop. The pharmacy also sells
raw and dried Chinese medicines.
34 The farm has around 250-300 bears. There were several warehouse buildings to keep these
bears. The insides of buildings were really dirty and dusty. The bear cages were very close
to each other and it was difficult to stand between the cages.
35 The extraction of bile was demonstrated and the owner was proud that the staff could milk
the bears in an outdoor space without chaining the bears. There were two staff members;
one was feeding the bear in front and the other was kneeling under the bear’s abdominal
area to extract the bile. The worker used a thick steel stick stuck into the fistula in the
bear’s abdomen, so the bile would be drop down to the container below. There was not
much bile collected by the demonstration since there were too many people around the
bear which stressed the animal.
36 Similar to other bear farms there were several young bears between 1-2 years, who were
kept in a open concrete space. In addition, there was also a separate area to keep bear
cubs. Between 20-30 bear cubs were kept in the area. The cubs were trained to follow the
worker’s orders and instructions for different acts. The training was to help the bears get
used to human contact and to make it easier for them to accept the bile extraction in
future.
37 It was demonstrated how the bear bile was filtered and produced in the farm, and the
surgical room also shown.
38 The investigator was told their products were sold all over China and Asian countries, such
as Japan, Singapore, Korea and Taiwan. He regularly sells the products to a Taiwanese
businessman. Due to political reasons, he can only send his products by post to
Guangngzhou, then the dealer would collect the products and arrange to carry them out of
China. He provides the unpackaged bile crystal powder to north-eastern China, so the bile
powder can be packed under another companies’ patent and package.

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39 The owner claimed that his relatives also owned three small farms in the area.

Location In one of the major cities in Heilongjiang Province

Owners Private
Years Established 1983
No. & Species of bear 700 – 800 bears including 40-60 brown bears, 6-10 sun bears, 600-650
Asiatic black bears; 200 female 150 cubs 100 - 350 male. Around 200 bears provide bile
Age & Sex
Type of Products Bear bile powder, capsules, eye drops, wine
No. Of Employee 50 - 70 workers
Enclosure A bigger enclosure behind the typical milking cage; and outdoor shared space
Veterinary Care 3-4 vet technicians
Breeding Policy Large scale breeding programme undertaken; separate denning area for
pregnant females

40. This farm claims, “it is the biggest bear breeding farm” in the country, although almost
every bear farm claims itself as the biggest in China. There are around 700-800 bears in
the farm but two different numbers were provided by the sales office and farm director.
41. There were only 3 bears when they began with the farming business. The investigator
questioned how they could have got so many bears in that short period. They claimed that
there were three resources of obtaining bears; poaching from the wild, buying bears from
other farms, and breeding. In recent years many bear farms were not well run and were
forced to shut down, selling their remaining bears to other farms. This is the main reason
that this farm was able to acquire so many bears in such a short time.
42. The farm bought the bears from various bear farms in Sichuan, Yunan, Liaoning, and
Heibei Province.
43. In the past, the farm had attempted to breed mink, deer, and foxes, but they could not
earn enough profit from these animals. Bears and bile products are the most profitable
investment and business.
44. The farm runs over 20 sales branches all over China. In addition, they are constructing a
new building on the site and hope to own 1000 bears by the end of the year 2000.
45. Bear cubs are selected for circus-style training. Cubs are intensively trained and prepared
for the summer season.
46. Vet technicians who are in charge of surgery on bear gall bladders for bile extraction. A
vet explained that each operation takes between 20-60 minutes. They also try to cross-
breed brown and Asiatic black bears, and this is still at an experimental stage.
47. The investigators were told that brown bears are mainly from the wild because there are
wild populations in northern China and sun bears are from Southern China.
48. The bears have free access to the two indoor cages. But some of the bears are very large

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 CHINESE BEAR FARMING

and cannot even fit through the gate to get into the larger cage behind the typical milking
cage. The outdoor space is shut during the winter, which can last up to four months in that
region.
49. Although a second bigger enclosure is provided, the stress on the animals does not appear
to be decreased. Stereotypic behaviours were observed in almost every bear.

Location In Heilongjiang Province; near Russian border

Owners State run
Years Established 1986
No. & Species of bear 100 bears including brown bears and Asiatic black bears; 25-35 female,
35-45 male, cubs 15-20. Around 30-40 bears provide bile
Age & Sex
Type of Products Bear bile powder, capsules, wine
No. Of Employee 20-30 workers
Enclosure The bigger enclosure (5x5x8.5 ft.) is used for bear cubs group ; typical milking
cage for keeping bears used for bile extraction; outdoor concrete area for some cubs to show
visitors in warmer season.
Veterinary Care No resident veterinarian
Breeding Policy Breeding programme undertaken; separate denning for pregnant females

Remarks:
1. The farm is looking for foreign investment and desperately wants to develop new type of
bile products, such as bear bile tea.
2. One of compounds had 8 bears inside. The inside was filthy and full of spider’s webs and
dust around the cages, ceiling, and floor. Obviously some of the bears are not used to
provide bile because their cages are touching the ground, and people cannot reach
underneath to extract bile. Therefore, their living environment and their needs have not
been given much consideration.
50 Injured bears, and bears with scars on their foreheads and bodies were found. Wounds
were also found on one bear cub’s paws, due to him constantly rubbing the cage bars. The
farm also runs another sub-farm in two hours away, which has around 20-30 bears. The
operating scale is much smaller.
51 Bear paws can be provided upon request. It costs RMB$2000 for a paw. Fresh bear paws
can be ordered as needed.
52 One bear was found with a plastic tube inserted into his abdominal area, although most
farms claim they do not insert tubes into bears anymore. Inserting tubes is part of old style
operations for collecting bile. Another bear was found with his bile continuously dripping
off his body into a bowl on the ground.

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 CHINESE BEAR FARMING

Location In Chinlin Province; near Korean border

Owners Private
Years Established 1986
No. & Species of bear 650 bears including brown bears, sun bears and Asiatic black bears.
150 cubs. Around 200 bears provide bear bile.
Age & Sex
Type of Products Bear bile powder, capsules, wine
No. Of Employee Unknown
Enclosure A bigger cage (5x5ft) is behind the typical milking cage; outdoor concrete areas
are provided for some compounds
Veterinary Care Resident veterinary technicians
Breeding Policy Breeding programme undertaken; separate denning areas for pregnant
females

Remarks:
53. This farm has the one of largest number of bears in the country. The farm claims they
Bear bile tea is also produced on the farm.
54. The park is near the North Korean border. In this area, the residents belong to the
Chosen Race, which is the same ethnic group as people in Korea. The Korean language is
widely used in this area. The district has also become an important base for Korean
businessmen. Therefore, the farm attracts many Korean visitors.
55. The park does not claim to be a farm, but rather claims to be a park. A large amount of
bears are kept in big outdoor concrete areas, and are shown to visitors in a similar fashion
to a Japanese bear park.
56. There are circus performances during the summer, and tourists can take pictures with
bears and cubs. The park is recommended as a tourist spot by the provincial tourist
bureau.
57. Bears used for bile extraction were seen to wear iron corsets around their chest and
abdomen.

Location In Chinlin Province; near Korean border

Owners State run
Years Established 1990
No. & Species of bear 45 bears, including brown bears, Asiatic black bears, and sun bears. No
cubs found in the compound
Age & Sex
Type of Products Bear bile powder

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 CHINESE BEAR FARMING

No. Of Employee 12
Enclosure Milking cage is slightly bigger than the typical size
Veterinary Care Resident veterinary technicians
Breeding Policy Breeding programme undertaken. Separate breeding facility is miles away
from the main farm, 6 bears in the breeding programme

Remarks:
1. The bear compound was very dark and damp.
2. Some bears used for bile extraction were seen to wear iron corsets around their chest and
abdomen. These bears wear corsets 24 hours a day. According to the staff this was to assist
with handling the bears and because they were concerned about being bitten by the bears.
A metal ring is attached to the corset so that workers can use a metal stick to grab the bear
and control it while the bile is extracted.
3. Customers can get bear paws from this farm. If the customer requests fresh paws, they can
be directly cut off from a bear.
4. The farm also runs another place as a breeding facility, which has around 6 bears for
breeding.
5. A sick bear was found in a cage, and it could only move his head and was not able to move
the rest of his body during the 20 minutes that he was observed. The bear was then
removed from the milking cage.
6. The farm mainly produces bile products, with no other sub-products.
7. Although the farm claimed all farm workers had professional background in agriculture
and livestock and the farm director is a senior veterinarian, the animals were not cared for
professionally.
8. There is no wild bear population in the region, and we were told that most bears were
bought and transported from the neighbouring provinces, and even from southern China,
e.g. Sichuan.

Location 1 hour away from Guangzhou

Owners Private
Years Established Unknown
No. & Species of bear 4 Asiatic black bears
Type of Products Bear bile powder
Enclosure Typical milking cage
No. Of Employee Run by the owner
Veterinary Care No Resident veterinarian
Breeding Policy No breeding

1. This was the smallest farm found during this investigation. The farm is only few minutes

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away from a big zoo, and is located in an industrialized suburb. The four bears were kept in
cages around the concrete building and factories.
2. Two bears showed red open wounds in the abdominal area and in both of them the bile
was dripping all the time. One of the bears was constantly scratching the wound and the
other did not show any movements or reactions while it was observed.
3. The bears had a large shaved area on their abdominal areas for the bile extraction
incisions. This was the first farm where such large shaved areas were seen.
4. The owner claimed that he is a senior scientific zoological technician, and is a chairman of
the scientific technician’s committee at the zoo near the farm. The bile products from his
farm also regularly supply a Taiwanese dealer who imports various Chinese medicines into
Taiwan.
5. Their bile products use the same patent and packing with another much larger bear farm.

Location 2 hours away from the Guangzhou

Owners Private
Years Established 1990
No. & Species of bear 100-150 bears including Asiatic black bears and brown bears
Type of Products Fresh bear bile, Bear bile powder, wine
Enclosure Typical milking cage; and concrete outdoor pen
No. Of Employee Unclear
Veterinary Care No Resident veterinarian
Breeding Policy Breeding programme undertaken

Remarks:
1. The farm is located in a holiday resort centre with a big lake. Part of the resort centre is
still under the construction. According to the workers, some of the capital is invested from
Taiwanese people.
2. 3-4 bear cubs are put in a show area with cages and visitors can touch them and take
photos with them.
3. Fresh bile is stored in a fridge in small vials for sale because it can be drunk directly from
the vial. Various deer and bile products are displayed in the show room.
4. Three zoo type concrete enclosures are built, with only one bear in each enclosure to be
used as public view area. Bears used for bile extraction are kept in typical cramped cages.
There are several empty cages displayed outside the compound. Several deer pens are also
located near the compound.
5. There are regular tourists from neighbouring cities, e.g. Shenchen Distric, Fujing Province
and Hong Kong.

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