page_title: Bile bear
section_title: Bile products
hierarchical_section_title: Bile bear / Bile products
caption_attribution_description: This image is related to a U.S. GAO report: www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-7 Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Agencies Are Taking Action to Reduce Demand but Could Improve Collaboration in Southeast Asia
context_page_description: Bile bears, sometimes called battery bears, are bears kept in captivity to harvest their bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, which is used by some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. It is estimated that 12,000 bears are farmed for bile in China, South Korea, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
  The bear species most commonly farmed for bile is the Asiatic black bear, although the sun bear, brown bear and every other species are also used. Both the Asiatic black bear and the sun bear are listed as Vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Animals published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They were previously hunted for bile but factory farming has become common since hunting was banned in the 1980s.
  The bile can be harvested using several techniques, all of which require some degree of surgery, and may leave a permanent fistula or inserted catheter. A significant proportion of the bears die because of the stress of unskilled surgery or the infections which may occur.
  Farmed bile bears are housed continuously in small cages which often prevent them from standing or sitting upright, or from turning around.
context_section_description: The monetary value of the bile comes from the traditional prescription of bear bile by doctors practicing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid. It is purchased and consumed to treat hemorrhoids, sore throats, sores, bruising, muscle ailments, sprains, epilepsy, reduce fever, improve eyesight, break down gallstones, act as an anti-inflammatory, reduce the effects of overconsumption of alcohol, and to 'clear' the liver. It is currently found in various forms for sale including whole gallbladders, raw bile, pills, powder, flakes, and ointment.
  Because only minute amounts of bile are used in TCM, a total of 500 kg of bear bile is used by practitioners every year, but according to WSPA, more than 7,000 kg are being produced. The surplus is being used in other inessential products such as throat lozenges, shampoo, toothpaste, wine, tea, eyedrops, and general tonics.
caption: Examples of Bear Bile Products Seized by the Hong Kong Government
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