After 20 Years in a Dark Cell, Rescued Moon Bear Finally Sees the Sun Again

DD Animal news: 16 July 2025: Imagine walking out of a dark room as if in solitary confinement, stepping out onto grass and squinting at the sun for the first time. Yes the glare might be annoying, but the freedom and exhilaration of being out in the open is unparalleled. It is even more so for animals used to living free and undoubtedly for Nova a black moon bear, walking free for the first time after 20 years in darkness must have been a profound experience.

20 Years in Darkness

Nova spent 20 years in darkness locked in a small dingy narrow cage, a victim of Vietnam’s bile farming industry. All he knew was pain, pain from the process and being unable to move his limbs let alone stretch them. Bile farming in Southeast Asia is a cruel practice where moon bears or Asiatic bears like Nova are regularly mutilated to extract the bile from their gall bladder.

What is Moon Bear Bile Farming

Moon bear bile is primarily used in traditional Asian medicine. This cruel and outdated practice involves confining bears in tiny, restrictive cages where they are unable to move or stand naturally. Farmers use painful methods to repeatedly extract bile directly from the bears’ gallbladders through open wounds or implanted catheters, causing chronic pain, infection, psychological distress, and even death. Countries where this brutal industry persists include China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and South Korea, despite ongoing efforts by animal rights organizations to end the practice.

It Continues Despite Condemnation

Unlike other animal products whose medicinal properties have not been proven by science, bear bile contains a ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a substance believed to effectively treat liver and gallbladder conditions. Marketed widely in various forms—including powders, pills, and tonics—bear bile is often promoted as a remedy for numerous ailments, such as acne, hangovers, colds, sore throats, hemorrhoids, conjunctivitis, and even cancer. Additionally, bear bile is sometimes incorporated into everyday household items and personal care products, ranging from shampoos and toothpastes to specialty wines and herbal teas.

Moon bear bile farming is widely condemned as severe animal abuse, as it subjects these intelligent and sensitive animals to unimaginable suffering for commercial profit. Bears trapped in bile farms often live decades in torment, experiencing malnutrition, muscle atrophy, and psychological trauma from their constant confinement and painful bile extraction. Although synthetic and herbal alternatives are readily available and effective, demand for traditional bear bile products continues to fuel this exploitative trade. International pressure and heightened awareness have resulted in stronger legal restrictions and rescue efforts, but the practice continues covertly, making it critical to maintain global advocacy and education to completely abolish this cruel industry.

Nova’s Story

Organizations like Animals Asia have long been active in the fight against bear bile farming and have organized hundreds of rescues over the years. One such rescue was Nova. When Nova was rescued, he was found in a pitiful condition. The bear was sedated and brought to the rehab center where he first received treatment. Nova suffered from malnutrition, his paws were damaged, and he even had a gall stone.

After treatment, Nova was transported to the Bach Ma Bear Sanctuary where he was kept in a 30-day quarantine but treated with his favorite fruits which included bananas. He was then shifted to a spacious den in the bear enclosure awaiting D-Day where he would be set free to walk on earth and grass again.

Walking Free

The day Nova was allowed to venture out was special. At first he felt awkward feeling grass beneath his feet and the sun in his eyes. However, it was freedom, and he finally must have felt like a bear should. Stepping out into freedom was a big step for Nova which is what his name meant “light” rising from darkness into dignity.

Hopefully organizations like Animals Asia  will slowly succeed in their fight against this horrible industry that ribs animals of their right to live the way nature intended them to be.