Ricky Gervais Donates £150,000 to Support Rescue of Vietnam’s Last Bear Bile Farm Bears
Quick Answer: Ricky Gervais donated £150,000 to Animals Asia in December 2025 as part of a larger £2.43 million donation to 22 animal charities. The contribution supports Animals Asia’s wider work to end bear bile farming in Vietnam, where the organization reported that about 150 bears remained in captivity in 2026.
Introduction
British comedian and longtime animal-welfare supporter Ricky Gervais has donated £150,000 to Animals Asia, supporting the organization's continuing efforts to rescue bears still held on Vietnam's remaining bear bile farms.
Animals Asia confirmed the donation in December 2025 after Gervais selected the organization as one of the animal charities receiving money from his Mortality tour-related charitable giving.
The donation came as Animals Asia was working toward the final stage of its decades-long campaign to end bear bile farming in Vietnam and bring the remaining captive bears into sanctuary care.
- Donation: £150,000 donated by Ricky Gervais to Animals Asia.
- Date confirmed: December 2025.
- Wider donation: About £2.43 million distributed among 22 animal charities.
- 2025 survey: Animals Asia identified 156 bears across 53 private residences in Vietnam.
- Rescue milestone: Animals Asia reported 300 bears rescued in Vietnam in 2026.
- Remaining bears: About 150 were still in captivity according to Animals Asia's 2026 updates.
Ricky Gervais has supported efforts to protect animals and end bear bile farming in Vietnam. Existing cover image retained from the original article. Image source and licensing details were not provided in the supplied original HTML.
A £150,000 Donation to Animals Asia
Gervais donated £150,000 to Animals Asia as part of a much larger charitable contribution connected to his Mortality tour.
Published reporting on the donation said Animals Asia was one of four organizations that each received £150,000. In total, approximately £2.43 million was distributed among 22 animal charities from profits associated with the tour.
The donation should not be interpreted as a payment publicly designated to immediately rescue a specific number of bears. Animals Asia described the contribution as support for its broader work to end bear bile farming and care for rescued animals.
Animals Asia publicly thanked Gervais for the contribution and described him as a longtime supporter of its work. The organization also noted his connection to a rescued bear named Derek, for whom Gervais had been a guardian.
Why Vietnam’s Remaining Bears Still Need Rescue
Bear bile extraction has been illegal in Vietnam since the country introduced restrictions on the practice, but the end of legal bile extraction did not immediately mean that every bear could be removed from captivity.
Animals Asia explains that bears registered under Vietnam's existing legal framework can remain in private homes. Because these animals cannot simply be removed by force, the organization works with authorities and bear owners to secure voluntary transfers to sanctuaries.
A nationwide survey conducted between April and July 2025 identified 156 bears across 53 private residences. Animals Asia said the survey provided the most detailed picture yet of the remaining captive bear population.
Some of the surveyed bears were reported to be living in poor conditions, while the organization continued negotiations with owners and authorities to secure their eventual transfer.
What Is Bear Bile Farming?
Bear bile farming involves keeping bears in captivity for the extraction of bile from their gallbladders. The practice has been associated with invasive procedures, prolonged confinement and significant animal-welfare concerns.
Animals Asia has spent decades rescuing bears from these conditions and providing long-term sanctuary care after their removal from bile farms.
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| Rescued bear at an Animals Asia sanctuary. Animals Asia documents its rescued bears and sanctuary work as part of its effort to end bear bile farming in Vietnam. Credit: Animals Asia; existing image retained from the original article. Source and licensing details should be confirmed before publication if required by the image owner. |
Gervais Has Supported Animal Rescue for Years
The £150,000 contribution to Animals Asia is not Gervais' first major donation to animal charities.
Animals Asia describes Gervais as a longtime supporter and noted his role as a guardian for Derek, a rescued bear.
His charitable giving has extended beyond the latest donation. In 2023, Gervais donated approximately £1.9 million to animal charities in connection with his Armageddon tour. His later Mortality tour-related donations brought another approximately £2.43 million to animal organizations.
Existing YouTube video retained from the original article. Embedded from YouTube; availability and ownership remain subject to the original uploader.
What About the Viral Photo?
A graphic circulating online has been shared alongside claims that Ricky Gervais donated money specifically to free caged bears and personally visited or rescued animals at a bear facility.
The £150,000 donation to Animals Asia is legitimate and independently confirmed by the organization. However, the photograph or graphic circulating with the claim should not automatically be treated as documentary evidence of Gervais personally carrying out a bear rescue.
The original article supplied for this rewrite does not provide a reliable original photographic source establishing where the viral image came from or confirming that it is an authentic photograph from a rescue operation.
For that reason, The Pader should not use the image as proof that Gervais personally handled, rescued or released the bears shown in the graphic.
The important distinction: The donation is verified by Animals Asia, but the viral photograph should be treated separately from the documented donation unless its original source and authenticity can be independently established.
The Bigger Picture: Vietnam’s Remaining Bear Rescues
Animals Asia's campaign has entered what the organization describes as the final stage of ending bear bile farming in Vietnam.
The 2025 nationwide survey identified 156 bears across 53 private residences. During 2026, additional rescues continued, and Animals Asia reported reaching a milestone of 300 bears rescued in Vietnam.
Despite that progress, the organization reported that approximately 150 bears remained in captivity in Vietnam.
Rescue is not simply a matter of removing a bear from a cage. Animals that have spent years in captivity can require veterinary treatment, specialized nutrition, rehabilitation, enrichment and long-term sanctuary care.
Animals Asia says its sanctuaries are prepared to receive remaining bears as owners voluntarily surrender them and transfers are arranged with the relevant authorities.
Gervais' donation does not mean that every remaining bear will immediately be rescued. Instead, it contributes to the wider funding and support required for rescue, rehabilitation and sanctuary operations.
Conclusion
Ricky Gervais' £150,000 donation to Animals Asia is a verified contribution supporting an organization working to end bear bile farming in Vietnam.
The wider story also shows why the issue remains unfinished. Hundreds of bears have already been rescued, but Animals Asia's latest updates indicate that approximately 150 still remain in captivity.
The viral photograph associated with the donation should not be used as evidence of a personal rescue by Gervais unless its authenticity can be independently established. The documented donation, however, is supported by Animals Asia's own announcement.
More From The Pader
This story is part of The Pader's Conservation & Animal Welfare Stories, where we explore wildlife rescue, conservation efforts, animal protection and human-wildlife coexistence.
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Sources and Further Reading
Animals Asia — Animals Asia thanks Ricky Gervais for generous donation
Animals Asia — New survey identifies the last bears on bile farms in Vietnam
Animals Asia — The final hurdle: ending bear bile farming in Vietnam
Animals Asia — Your questions about ending bear bile farming answered
Animals Asia — Four bears rescued after voluntary transfer from Ho Chi Minh City
British Comedy Guide — Ricky Gervais donates £2.5m to animal charities
Status: FACT-CHECKED
The £150,000 donation from Ricky Gervais to Animals Asia was checked against Animals Asia's December 2025 announcement. The wider approximately £2.43 million charitable contribution was checked against published reporting on the Mortality tour donations.
The number of remaining bears was updated using Animals Asia's 2025 nationwide survey and subsequent 2026 rescue updates. The 2025 survey identified 156 bears across 53 private residences, while later 2026 updates reported 300 bears rescued in Vietnam and approximately 150 still in captivity.
The viral photograph associated with the donation was not treated as authenticated documentary evidence because the supplied original article did not establish a reliable original photographic source or independently verify the image.
Bear numbers may change as additional animals are rescued, so current figures should be understood as date-specific estimates reported by Animals Asia.
The Pader presents wildlife and science information using credible sources and accessible language. Scientific information may be updated as new research emerges.