Two bears have finally been rescued from an illegal bile farm where they have lived in complete darkness for 17 years.

The Asiatic bears – a female named Mo and a male named Xuan – only saw artificial light when they underwent agonizing bile extractions in a basement of a clothes store in Vietnam.

Reports revealed that Xuan had been kept in a small cage since 2004.

Animal workers who rescued the bears said they were shocked to see the appalling conditions they described as the ‘worst’ they have ever witnessed.

Rescuers from Four Paws said the small cages were dirty and rusty and the poor animals had no access to fresh air.

The bears were left alone in complete darkness for hours and they were only given rotten vegetables to keep them alive.

Four Paws sedated the bears so they could be carried away from the cages. They discovered that both animals were suffering from gallbladder disease as they were repeatedly stabbed in the organ to have their bile extracted.

Xuan has liver disease and has lost several teeth.

Captive bears usually lose teeth as a result of biting the bars of their cages as they wish to escape.

After medical examinations, the bears were transported to a sanctuary in Ninh Binh.

Bear bile is an ingredient used in traditional Asian medicine. It contains Ursodeoxycholic acid which is proven to treat liver diseases and dissolve gallstones.

Bile extraction has been illegal in Vietnam since 1992 but around 1,000 bears were caught up in illegal operations in the country.

The excruciating practice continues to be legal in China, with bear bile even suggested as a treatment for coronavirus early in the pandemic.

One person commented: “Thank you so much for saving these babies! Hopefully now they can live the life they always deserved! Xxx”

Another wrote: “This made me cry. Humans are horrible people and getting worse.”

A third said: “Thank God they have a chance to live a good life now. It breaks my heart that there are some “people” and I am using the term loosely, that can treat animals so horribly.”

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