Sloth bears are insectivorous ursids native to the Indian subcontinent, historically exploited as dancing bears and now facing welfare challenges in both captivity and the wild.
Sloth bear welfare has improved dramatically in South Asia through the elimination of the dancing bear practice and the rescue and rehabilitation of former performing bears. This success story demonstrates that welfare can be genuinely transformed through targeted advocacy and practical intervention. In zoo settings, sloth bears require enrichment that replicates their intensive foraging behavior — scatter feeding, termite log enrichment, and varied food presentation that engages their specialized feeding adaptations. Static food provision fails to engage what is one of the most behaviorally active foragers among bear species.