Sloth bears are shaggy, insectivorous bears from the Indian subcontinent whose welfare in zoo settings requires specialized enrichment addressing their unique foraging ecology.
Sloth bear welfare in zoos centers on addressing their highly specialized insectivorous feeding ecology. Standard commercial diets must be supplemented with enrichment that replicates termite and ant foraging behavior — puzzle feeders using honey, insect larvae in substrate, and log piles with live insects allow natural sucking and digging behavior. Their powerful claws require appropriate substrate for digging. The historic exploitation of sloth bears as dancing bears — captured, trained through pain, and forced to perform — has been significantly reduced through rehabilitation programs by Wildlife SOS in India, with rescued bears providing education about the welfare transformation possible with compassionate care. Zoo sloth bear programs support species conservation and public understanding of this unique species.