The keeping of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) in captivity to extract bile from their gallbladders is a relatively new concept in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) and is thought to have only begun in the early 21st century. Bear bile farming was first developed in North Korea in the 1970’s in the belief that this would lead to less pressure on wild bear populations and provide a ready and replenishable source of bear bile for use in traditional medicine. The practice of bear bile farming soon spread to the People’s Republic of China, where an estimated 7,000-10,000 bears are currently kept in captivity and Vietnam where approximately 1,200 bears are believed to remain on bile farms. Changes in government legislation in Vietnam enacted in 2006 have explicitly banned the extraction, advertising, sale or purchase of bear bile in Vietnam, possibly leading to an increased pressure on wild bear populations in Laos as bear farmers have attempted to establish bear farming as an industry in this country, exploiting weaker wildlife protection laws and a poor record for wildlife law enforcement.