Number of bears saved so far: 900
Estimated number of bears held captive in bile farms in Asia: 25,000
Black market price of an Asian black bear in Laos: $1,000
Annual GDP per capita in Laos: $1,500
Price for a complete gallbladder in South Korea: $7,500

The gallbladder of an Asian black bear is worth about $7,500 in South Korea. That hefty price translates tragically into a strong incentive for capturing, mistreating and often killing the magnificent creatures.
Illegal bear farms have cropped up in several Southeast Asian countries. Captured Asian black bears are kept there under terrible conditions, often malnourished and in tiny cages, so their captors can draw bile from their gallbladders. Many of the animals suffer this torture for years, and many do not survive.
Free the Bears has established "bear houses" in several countries, where rescued bears are cared for and given a second chance at life.

A film by Michael Altenhenne