Ricky Gervais’ support for animal protection reached Vietnam’s remaining captive bile bears in December 2025, when Animals Asia was selected to receive £150,000 from profits generated by premium seating on his Mortality comedy tour.
The contribution was part of a £2.43 million distribution to 22 animal charities announced on December 9, 2025. Animals Asia publicly thanked Gervais two days later, saying the gift arrived during the final phase of its long campaign to end bear bile farming in Vietnam.
A real gift, but not a new announcement
The timing matters. Social posts have recently recirculated the donation as if it had just happened, but the announcement dates to December 2025. At that point, Animals Asia said approximately 150 bears were still confined on bile farms across Vietnam.
Later data show further progress. A Vietnamese government report published on August 25, 2026, said the country had 206 captive bears as of July. Of those, 129 were being kept by 46 households and private facilities—the core group authorities and conservation organizations were still seeking to transfer voluntarily to rescue centers.
That is a steep decline from 4,239 captive bears recorded in 2005. The government report described a reduction of nearly 95 percent and noted that Thai Nguyen became the twenty-third province to end bear farming in June 2026.
Why bears remain in private cages
Vietnam prohibited bile extraction years ago, but the final phase has proved complicated. Existing ownership of registered bears has remained legal, while new breeding, trade and extraction are prohibited. That means rescuers generally cannot simply remove a bear from a private facility. They must secure the owner’s agreement and coordinate a safe handover with authorities.
Animals Asia works with government agencies, forest protection departments and bear owners to arrange voluntary transfers. Its sanctuaries provide veterinary treatment, appropriate nutrition, behavioral rehabilitation and protected naturalistic spaces for animals that may have spent decades in confinement.
What the donation supports
Gervais’ £150,000 gift went to Animals Asia as the organization worked to free the remaining bears and provide lifetime sanctuary care. The charity has not claimed that this single donation rescued every bear, and the changing totals should not be read that way. Rescue is an ongoing process involving negotiation, transport, quarantine, veterinary assessment and years of care.
The comedian has supported Animals Asia for years and previously served as a guardian for Derek, a rescued bear at one of the charity’s sanctuaries. His latest contribution also formed part of a much larger donation from tour proceeds: four organizations received £150,000 each, 17 received £100,000, and another charity received the remaining £132,000.
The story is therefore both hopeful and unfinished. Vietnam has reduced captive bear numbers dramatically, and rescue capacity has expanded. Yet more than a hundred bears remained in private facilities in the latest government breakdown, dependent on cooperation and voluntary transfer.
For those animals, the goal is not release into the wild after decades of captivity. It is freedom from exploitation and the chance to live safely under professional care for the rest of their lives.
Sources
- Animals Asia: “Animals Asia thanks Ricky Gervais for generous donation,” December 11, 2025
- Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Environment: “Joining hands to end bear bile farming in Viet Nam,” August 25, 2026
- British Comedy Guide: breakdown of Gervais’ 2025 tour-proceeds donations
