Take action: bears in the U.S. are being killed for the bear bile trade

UPDATE (5/18/23): The Bear Protection Act has been reintroduced in Congress by Rep. Michael T. McCaul [R-TX-10], Rep. Ted Lieu [D-CA-36], Rep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick [R-PA-1] and Rep. Ann M. Kuster [D-NH-2]. It is now H.R.3518. Read the new bill here.

One of the World’s Darkest Trades

All around the world, bears are being targeted for their bile, which has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of year. Despite Chinese physicians condemning the bear bile trade and even though synthetic, cruelty-free alternatives to bear bile are available, the trade is still rife.

On factory farms, bears - or “bile bears” as they’re commonly called - are often kept in cages so small they cannot even turn around. Bears can survive up to 35-years in captivity, meaning they can spend decades trapped in these conditions. Their bodies may contort to fit inside the cage, and many of these animals have few teeth left from chewing desperately on the bars.

Today, it’s estimated that more than 12,000 bears are confined on these factory farms and painfully "milked" for their bile. Bear bile is obtained through surgically implanting a tube in the animal and draining the liquid out. The Humane Society of the United States reports that the bears moan and often chew their paws during the procedure because it is so painful for them.

The U.S. is helping to fuel the trade, with hunters in the U.S. killing wild bears and selling their gallbladders.

Bile from wild bears is considered more potent than bile from farmed bears. And because wild bear populations in Asia have declined significantly, bears in the U.S. are being targeted as well. To meet demand for bear bile, poachers in the U.S. are killing wild bears and cubs across America. The animals’ gallbladders are then sold in Chinese medicine shops and exported to other countries, with a single gallbladder fetching over $1000.

We can help change this.

Currently, 40 states have laws on the books to address the trade, but these laws are fragmented and tend to vary state by state. For example, a trafficker in Colorado may face up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine, while a trafficker in Kentucky may receive only a $100 fine. 

To strengthen protection for wild bears across the U.S. and to address the inconsistencies in state laws, we need a federal law. This is where the Bear Protection Act comes in. This law seeks to prohibit the importation, exportation, and interstate trade of bear gallbladders, essentially helping to end the U.S.’s involvement in this grizzly trade.

Take Action Now

The bill needs all the support it can get. Will you join Species Unite in voicing your support? By speaking out and ramping up support, we can play a huge part in ending this trade for good.

Add your name to voice your support for the Bear Protection Act - together we can help protect bears from this cruel trade.