Photos: Vietnam’s caged bears dying off as bile prices plummet

In Vietnam, hundreds of bears are feared to have been killed or starved to death as the cost of once-valuable farmed bile has crashed. Bear bile is extracted -- often continuously and painfully -- from the animals' gallbladders and used in traditional medicine in the country, where the illegal practice remains widespread. The country has come under fire for failing to crack down on the illegal trade and has decided last year to abolish all bear farms by 2022.

Updated on: Aug 18, 2018 4:21 PM IST

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Veterinarians from an animal conservation group inspects the health condition of a sedated bear during a rescue operation from a facility where bear bile is extracted in Thai Nguyen province. This animal is among the lucky few to be rescued in a country where hundreds of bears are feared to have been killed or starved to death as the cost of once-valuable farmed bile has plummeted. (Nhac Nguyen / AFP)

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With about 200 bears in Vietnam’s rescue centres, many likely starve to death or killed off and sold for their body parts. The bear bile is extracted -- often continuously and painfully -- from the animals’ gallbladders and used in traditional medicine in Vietnam, where the illegal practice remains widespread. (Nhac Nguyen / AFP)

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Consumers are shunning the farmed version in favour of bile taken from the nearly extinct wild bear population, which can cost 12 times more, and farmers can no longer earn what they used to from the illicit trade. If consumer demand for wild bear gallbladders catches on, it could spell the end for wild bears, which are killed for the sought-after organ, as the owners can no longer afford to keep them alive. (Nhac Nguyen / AFP)

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The number of captive bears has dropped dramatically since 2005 from about 4,500 to less than 800 today, according to official data and Crudge, who recently co-authored a study on the issue. “Farmers said it wasn’t profitable to keep the bears any more so they started feeding them less and let them die off,” Brian Crudge, research programme manager at Free The Bears, told AFP. (Nhac Nguyen / AFP)

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A farmer said that he used to earn US$10 for one millilitre (0.03 fluid ounces) of farmed bile, but now only makes about US$2, as some consumers prefer to shell out for a supposedly higher quality product from wild bears. “People don’t seem to like the bile anymore so it’s harder to find customers,” said the farmer, speaking anonymously. (Nhac Nguyen / AFP)

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Vietnam has come under fire for failing to crack down on the illegal trade, but in a landmark decision last year said it would abolish all bear farms by 2022. It is likely to meet that goal, but not all will make it into sanctuaries with death rates likely to remain steady. (Nhac Nguyen / AFP)

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A rescued bear seen roaming around a sanctuary in Ninh Binh province. The rescued bears spend a few weeks in quarantine before being allowed to frolic in the grass with their fellow rescuees -- which will require some courage after so many years in a cage. “It’s pretty scary for them at first. It can take several weeks until they’re brave enough to go around the enclosure,” said Emily Lloyd, animal manager at Four Paws Vietnam, which runs the sanctuary. (Nhac Nguyen / AFP)