Supporting sloth bear welfare in captivity and conservation of this vulnerable species in South Asia.
Sloth bear welfare encompasses both the rehabilitation of individually traumatized dancing bears and the standards for sloth bears in zoo conservation programs. Former dancing bears carry physical injuries from nose roping and behavioral trauma that require years of patient rehabilitation. The success of Wildlife SOS in eliminating the dancing bear trade demonstrates that targeted welfare intervention can achieve transformative change within a generation. Zoo sloth bear programs must provide species-appropriate enrichment that allows expression of the digging, foraging, and climbing behaviors this species evolved for.