Sun bears are the smallest bears and highly intelligent foragers of Southeast Asian forests. Zoo welfare requires complex foraging enrichment and active opposition to the bile bear trade that sources animals from the wild.
Sun bear welfare in accredited zoos stands in stark contrast to their treatment in the bile bear industry. Welfare-positive zoo care requires complex arboreal enrichment — tall trees, hammocks, log structures with hidden food, honey tubes — that engages the extraordinary foraging intelligence of this species. Foraging enrichment must be changed daily to prevent habituation. Sun bears are solitary and may not tolerate conspecifics — introductions must be carefully managed. Mental stimulation is as important as physical space — cognitive challenge through puzzle feeders, novel objects, and olfactory enrichment prevents stereotypy. Zoos housing sun bears should actively campaign against bile farming and support bear sanctuary organisations. Animals rescued from bile farms require specialist welfare care that accredited zoos can sometimes provide in partnership with rehabilitation organisations.