In 1981, the South Korean government approved the domestication of bears for the purpose of harvesting bear bile. It was a tragedy caused by the misconception of bear bile being beneficial for human health. However, due to public concern toward animal protection and registration as a member of CITES(Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species), the bear bile industry was prevented from expanding further in South Korea.
Farmers who began farming bear bile under an uneconomical industrial structure called for countermeasures from the government. Instead of protecting the bears, the government passed a decision to legalize captive bear slaughter for the purpose of collecting the bear’s gallbladder, through fundamental measures. As a result, the bears could be legally slaughtered when they reached the age of 10.
Most captive bears are confined in cramped cages while living off of food waste thrown away by humans. Due to the deplorable conditions of these bears, the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) is working to rescue bears and put an end to this tragic bile bear industry.
Our Activities for Captive Bears
- Rescue
KAWA is actively rescuing and relocating bile bears that have suffered from abuse to sanctuaries. In 2021, KAWA rescued 22 bile bears from a bile bear farm in Gangwon-do and transported them to The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) in the US. KAWA is currently doing their best to rescue the 300 captive bears that remain in South Korea.
- Participating in a government consultative body in order to problem-solve
Since the early 2010s, KAWA has been participating in the government-organized consultative group to discuss ways to put an end to bile bear farms. Due to its persistent demands, the government neutered all bile bears from 2014 to 2017, in order to prevent their breeding. In January 2022, the government, through an agreement with civic groups and bear farmers, announced that the bile bear farms will be eradicated by 2025. Additionally, the government claimed it would work on enacting measures such as special laws for captive bears by 2025.
- Requesting the government to build a bear sanctuary
It is crucial to construct bile bear protection sanctuaries to shelter the bears after bile bear harvesting becomes banned. KAWA has been urging the government to build the sanctuaries, so in 2021, the government created a budget. Currently, facilities in Gurye and Seocheon are currently under construction. KAWA will ensure these sanctuaries are successfully completed so that the once mistreated bears will be able to spend the rest of their lives in peace. However, these two sanctuaries do not have enough space for all the bears, so some have to go to different shelters. KAWA is making an effort to find a place where the bears can live a content life.