Community attitudes towards bears, bear bile use, and bear conservation in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

Local communities around Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, exhibit largely positive attitudes toward bears and conservation efforts. However, their understanding of bear farming's impact on wild populations remains limited, despite familiarity with wildlife laws. The study, combining household surveys (n=263) and key informant interviews, reveals that age, gender, ethnicity, village, and household size influence perceptions of bear bile use—likely driven by expanding markets in neighboring China. To strengthen conservation support, culturally relevant co-educational outreach is critical, as current efforts lack community incentives or deep engagement.

Sukanan, D., & Anthony, B. P. (2019). Community attitudes towards bears, bear bile use, and bear conservation in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-019-0292-5