Campaigning for freedom for the 10 bears being illegally bile farmed in Vietnam
At the heart of Verify Humanity’s animal advocacy activities is the Free Boo the Bear project, which has achieved world-wide attention from compassionate individuals and organisations. While Lulu, Lac and Lili have been rescued and taken to a Four Paws Bear sanctuary, the other 10 bears are waiting for the local Nghe An Authorities to uphold the law and take action.
Help us to rescue them!
Watch the undercover investigation
The obstacles to rescue
The 10 bears in Nghe An Province have been dubbed the #untouchablebears because rescue efforts have proven extremely difficult in the past. The illegal bear bile farm business is part of, and therefore hidden behind, a national network of legal business. The illegal wildlife farmers and villagers can become violent, making rescue efforts dangerous. Additionally, the bears are transferred between farms in a bid to hide them from authorities and rescuers.
Campaigning for the bears' freedom
Verify Humanity want sanctuary and freedom for the bears. Despite the obstacles, we are spreading awareness about the cruelty of bile farming, reaching out to the public and sharing the bear's heartbreaking stories. In an undercover operation our founder, Kate Fox, captured video evidence exposing the illegal activities of these farms. Kate has also made a short film about the bears called 'lawless lands' to help increase awareness and publicity for the bears. We've also started a petition, gathering signatures and support from people worldwide. Additionally, we've been meeting with MPs to keep the momentum going and push for the rescue of the 10 remaining bears.
Undercover investigation and rescue
In August 2018, an undercover investigation uncovered two illegal bear farms in Quynh Yen, Quynh Luu, Nghe An Province, Vietnam. Farm 1 had nine bears, while Farm 2 had four bears. After a violent riot and attempted kidnap, three bears from Farm 1 were released on May 30th, 2019, following persuasion from Nghe An Authorities. However, evidence collected indicates that the remaining six unchipped bears on Farm 1 were poached from Laos and are being used for commercial bile extraction.
We believe sharing this evidence publicly will help aid supporting governments and NGOs to take action. So, in an unusual move, the detailed facts of this investigation can be read on our website.
What is bear bile farming?
Once touted as a conservation strategy, bear bile farming has revealed its true colours. Bears are housed in tiny cages, starved of food, water and stimulus. Because of this, the bears live in constant emotional and physical distress, and are reliant upon antibiotics for their survival. Farming bear bile is unnecessary as plant alternatives have now been found to contain the "same therapeutic effects as bear bile." We hope that by raising awareness we can change belief systems, and liberate the remaining 10 Nghe An Province bears.
The rescued bears
3 of the bears, Lulu, Lac and Lili have been rescued and taken to a four paws sanctuary where they are enjoying their new lives away from suffering.
Image: Lili in a tree, with kind permission from Four Paws
