12 farmed bears rescued under bear farming ban, but many still have nowhere to go
A bear looks out from behind bars. Four civic groups signed a deal on Aug. 7 to purchase 12 farmed bears from a Yeoncheon farm in Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association
Twelve Asiatic black bears bred for bile extraction have been rescued by civic groups in the first such action since Korea’s bear farming ban took effect, but uncertainty remains over where to house them.
Four civic organizations, including the Korean Animal Welfare Association, said Tuesday that they signed a purchase agreement on Aug. 7 with a farm in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, to take in 12 farmed bears.
The groups, however, warned that roughly half of the 240 bears still on farms have nowhere to go because government facilities can only house about 120 to 130 animals, calling for urgent measures.
Bear farming, launched as a government policy in 1981, will officially end in December under a revision to the Wildlife Protection and Management Act passed in December 2023.
A bear is confined in a cage at a farm in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association
But rescues have been slow. Under a 2022 agreement between the government and civic groups, the groups handle bear purchases, while the government builds shelters. Yet negotiations with farms have stalled due to disagreements over price.
The capacity problem also remains acute. Even after the new shelters in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, and Gurye, South Jeolla Province, are completed, about 120 bears will still have no rescue facilities to receive them.
The organizations praised the Yeoncheon farmer’s decision to cooperate despite past difficulties in negotiations. “We will continue talks with other farms willing to join the rescue effort,” they said, adding that limited budgets from donations mean they must prioritize deals with cooperative farmers.
For now, the rescued bears’ destination is undecided. Korea Animal Rights Advocates said they are considering moving them to the Gurye facility once it is ready and will take them from the farm as soon as possible to “give them a new chance at life.”
Calling bear farming “a result of failed government policy,” the groups urged the Ministry of Environment to prepare measures for the remaining animals and ensure the industry ends as planned by 2026.
Bears are kept in elevated metal cages at a farm in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.