AN ABUSED bear dubbed the "saddest in the world" was kept locked up in a tiny cage and forced to vomit so it could be used for a bizarre medicine.
The Asiatic black bear, named Soi, tried to escape the horrific conditions by gnawing at the bars of his enclosure.
He spent the first years of his life cooped up in the minuscule makeshift pen that is smaller than a car, leaving him visibly miserable.
Soi's former owner who lives in in the Son La province of Vietnam is believed to have sickeningly purchased him illegally to keep as a pet.
According to animal welfare group Four Paws, he weighed just 7kg when he was a young cub.
He eventually agreed to hand him over to authorities after the bear's harrowing living conditions came to light.
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The cruel owner had been keeping Soi captive in the hellhole cage in the back garden of a residential home.
Four Paws rescue team were forced to cut open the enclosure to free tragic Soi, who spent years cooped up in the enclosure.
They were initially informed that Soi was 17-years-old, leaving them stunned to discover he was in fact only around two-and-a-half years old during his first health check.
Following his rescue, the majestic Asiatic black bear was taken to the vets who thankfully found his health was in good condition.
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But they did notice signs of bar biting – as a sorrowful Soi tried to chew on his cage in the hopes of escaping.
Four Paws say that it was likely that he was purchased illegally as a pet and used for bile bear farming.
Campaigners continue to call for the total abolition of the sick procedure – with an estimated 10,000 of the animals, mainly sun and brown bears still held in captivity, according to Animals Asia.
Bile from various species of bears, including Asiatic black bears and brown bears like, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine since at least the eighth century.
It contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid which is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat liver disease and help dissolve gallstones.
SICKENING BILE BUSINESS
Soi is now said to be "happier than ever" while living among other rescued animals at a bear sanctuary in Ninh Binh, Vietnam.
A comprehensive veterinary examination at the sanctuary will further determine his health status and future needs.
Emily Wilson, Head of Campaigns at Four Paws, said: "Bears still kept on bear farms in Vietnam suffer from cruel keeping conditions, locked up in metal cages with barely any room to turn around, and lined up in dark sheds without any sunlight.
"Here they’ll endure bile extraction, which, despite being illegal, is still practised, and extremely painful.
"Bears need to roam around, climb, dig, and swim and should have the freedom to express their natural behaviours.
"The remaining bears in Vietnam still have a chance at a better life. But, if Hanoi keeps undermining the country’s commendable progress, their future looks grim."
The bile is harvested by making a permanent hole in the bear's abdomen and gall bladder – which can often lead to painful infections and diseases.
As a result, many bears hurt or even kill themselves by punching their stomachs, and are sometimes fitted with iron vests to stop this.
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Use of bear bile from captive animals is legal in China, but is bile from wild bears is banned, as is importation from other countries.
The mammals are usually farmed for their bile for around 20 years and are killed when they stop producing it.
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