Bears Rescued From Bile Farm After Being Held Captive In The Dark For 17 Years

Two Asiatic bears were rescued Tuesday after being held captive for around 17 years in filthy dark cages while undergoing painful procedures for bile extraction.

The horrific case of animal abuse was reported from Son La province of north-western Vietnam after Four Paws -- an animal welfare organization -- rescued the bears from the illegal bile farm.

The male bear Xuan had been reportedly kept in the tiny basement cage of a clothing shop since 2004. It is unclear how long the female bear Mo had been held in the darkness. These bears only saw artificial light when they were fed or when they had to undergo bile extraction procedure, a report by Four Paws said.

The animal welfare group said their rescue team was left speechless by the cruelty they saw the bears had encountered. They had to use flashlights to see the bears in the windowless basement of the shop. The bears were kept in tiny rusty cages that were dirty without any access to fresh air and ventilation, the report said.

The rescued bears were medically checked before they were transported to a bear sanctuary in Ninh Binh.

“The health checks for both bears revealed gallbladder disease due to multiple unsanitary and traumatic bile extraction processes carried out on the farm. In addition, Xuan is overweight, has liver disease and his teeth are in terrible condition,” Szilvia Kalogeropoulu, a veterinarian who led the rescue operation said.

Even though Vietnam has banned bile farming, illegal extraction and trade still continue in many places. It is estimated around 372 bears in Vietnam are still facing cruel conditions in bear farms or in private keeping.

Bear bile has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating gallstones and liver diseases. In recent years, the bile farming industry has been widely criticized for the inhumane torture the animals undergo while they are being held captive. Bears used for bile milking face excruciating pain during the procedure, causing them both mental and physical trauma, according to a PETA Asia report. Despite the availability of other synthetic alternatives for bear bile, thousands of illegal and legal farms still continue to exit in various countries across the world.