Dame Judi Dench speaks exclusively to the Mirror of her ‘horror’ at bear bile farms – and makes an impassioned plea for the release of the final bears
“When I learned of the suffering endured by bears on bile farms, I was horrified. From the time I was a child in York, my home was never without animals. Sixteen cats, each with their own personalities and quirks, found their way to us over the years.
My parents welcomed them, fed them, and taught me that caring for an animal is not a hobby, it is a responsibility. It’s a lesson that I’ve carried throughout my life.
That is why, when I learned of the suffering endured by bears on bile farms, I was horrified. Bears immobilised in tiny cages unable even to turn around, kept in a constant state of hunger and thirst to make their bile extracted for use in traditional medicine more potent.
It is cruelty on a scale that is difficult to comprehend. And yet, there was something equally astonishing taking place – a movement to end this practice in Vietnam, not with blame or punishment, but through understanding, cooperation, and dignity for all involved.
Thanks to the work of Animals Asia, the government of Vietnam, traditional medicine practitioners, and local communities, bear farming there is now illegal. This is not a victory born of shaming or division. It is a triumph of compassion, achieved with respect for farmers who, for generations, depended on this trade.
The change has come not because people were forced, but because they came together to say that there is a better, kinder way. Bears in captivity are being freed and the people who once farmed them are treated, not as villains, but as partners in progress.
I have the privilege of being guardian to a bear named Finty, named after my daughter. Finty was rescued by Animals Asia from a bear bile farm and taken to their sanctuary where she experienced walking on grass, other bears, playing in water – perhaps for the first time in her life.
Before rescue she was in constant darkness, pain, and deprivation. Today, she shares her life with another bear, Barack, and their bond is touching beyond words. I have seen photographs of them sleeping under the stars together, surrounded by straw beds of their own making. It is a vision of peace that should be the right of every living creature.
But there are still 150 bears – the last survivors of this brutal trade – trapped in tiny metal cages, sick, suffering and alone. Rescuing them will not happen by chance. Sanctuaries must be ready. Veterinary teams must work tirelessly. The farmers must be persuaded to free the bears.
And, of course, the public must care enough to help. We cannot simply say “isn’t it wonderful that it’s now illegal” and walk away. The final chapter is to rescue the last generation of bears. Only then can we have a truly happy ending, and one that we must write with generosity, ensuring that every bear has the space, the care, and the freedom they deserve.
In a world so often divided, the end of bear farming in Vietnam offers a different kind of headline – one where empathy triumphs, where change comes without rancour, and where hope is shared by everyone involved.
And I can’t help but think that if it can work here, it can work elsewhere. The same principles of dignity, cooperation, and shared pride could be applied to ending other cruelties, from the dog meat trade to the plight of animals kept in captivity for entertainment or roadside zoos.
We already know that real change happens when people are brought into the solution, not pushed away as the enemy. Farmers, traders, and communities can be partners in creating kinder futures if we listen, respect, and work together.
These challenges can feel insurmountable when you look at them from a distance, but Vietnam’s bears prove otherwise. Here is a story where cruelty is ending, not by crushing one group but by lifting everyone up. If that’s possible for bears, it is possible for dogs, for lions, for elephants, for any animal whose life has been diminished for human use.
I urge you, if your heart is stirred by the thought of a bear lying contentedly in the grass having been freed from a life of pain, to join me in ensuring that no creature – bear, dog, or otherwise – is left behind. For their sake, and ours, let’s make compassion the story we tell next. Because this story will show that ending cruelty need not be a bitter battle, but an act of collective pride.”
Dame Judi Dench has joined more than 30 celebrities to send an open letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam today, appealing for the release of the final bile farm bears. To join her visit animalsasia.org.uk/free .
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