World Animal Protection: In the darkest corners of the world they're all but forgotten

Bears victim to the bear bile industry, destined to a lifetime of misery.

In the darkest corners of the world they're all but forgotten

I am following up on my email last week, in which I wrote about Hien, a bear recently rescued from the bear bile industry due in part to the work of World Animal Protection. I wanted to remind you, though, of the many other bears still suffering at the hands of this cruel and senseless industry. The bile extraction process these bears go through is nothing short of torturous. There is no humane way to extract the bile from a living bear. In Vietnam, one of the countries in which we are active, it is most common to use an ultrasound to locate the bear’s gall bladder, before a large syringe is inserted deep into her tender tummy to extract the bile. The wounds leave these sorry bears in constant agony. Bear Number 160 has lost so much fur, likely from the stress of confinement and pain.   World Animal Protection recently visited a bear bile facility and the conditions were appalling. The stench of feces and unkempt bears was sickening. The depression palpable. Many of the bears, like the one in the image above, had lost fur and shown evidence of self-harming, likely due to the stress of a lifetime in captivity. Our work in the bear bile industry, while complex, has truly made an impact. The number of bears in captivity in Vietnam has reduced drastically by nearly 70% from 2005 to today. We’re working to eliminate this senseless industry once and for all. And as attitudes begin to shift against the use of bear bile across Asia, now is a more important time for our work than ever. Please consider making a donation to support our important work to end this horrible industry, and protect suffering animals everywhere. Gratefully, Priscilla Ma US Executive Director World Animal Protection P.S. These miserable animals are all but forgotten. We know you won’t forget them, and that’s why we are counting on your support.

We are World Animal Protection We end the needless suffering of animals We influence decision makers to put animals on the global agenda We help the world see how important animals are to all of us We inspire people to change animals’ lives for the better We move the world to protect animals