Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) face threats from bile farming, wildlife trade, and deforestation across Southeast Asia, with welfare harms spanning both captive and wild populations.
Sun bears held in inappropriate conditions — as pets, in bile farms, or in substandard captive facilities — experience severe welfare harm from inability to express natural behaviors. They are highly active animals with large space requirements; confinement causes stereotypic behaviors and psychological distress. Bile extraction from sun bears uses the same cruel methods as Asiatic black bear farming. Wild sun bears face habitat loss from palm oil expansion — the same supply chain that threatens orangutans affects sun bears through deforestation. Consumer choices around palm oil products have direct welfare implications for wild sun bears. Rehabilitation programs require years of skilled care to return confiscated bears to forest environments.