Sloth bears are insectivorous bears from South Asia whose welfare in zoos requires specialized foraging enrichment, dust bathing opportunities, and careful management of their naturally irascible temperament.
Sloth bear welfare in zoos is complicated by their naturally reactive temperament — they are considered among the most dangerous bears to manage and have caused more human fatalities relative to body size than most other bear species. Protected contact management is essentially mandatory for safe keeper-animal interactions. Their foraging behavior — using powerful suction to extract insects from logs and soil — requires specialized enrichment: termite mound structures stuffed with food, buried treats requiring digging, and substrate variation. Dust bathing is a natural behavior that reduces ectoparasites and requires loose dry substrate. Cub-on-back behavior requires observation from a distance that does not stress the mother during this sensitive period. Their nutritional needs differ from omnivorous bears — insect protein is the protein source of choice, and appropriate insect provision is a welfare priority.