Sloth bears have been exploited in bile and entertainment industries in Asia — their welfare in rescue sanctuaries and accredited zoos.
Sloth bear welfare in rescue contexts presents the challenge of rehabilitating animals who have experienced severe and prolonged trauma — nose ring pain, chain restriction, learned helplessness, and complete suppression of natural behavior over years of use in the dancing bear trade. Genuine rehabilitation requires patience, skilled behavioral care, appropriate social grouping with compatible animals, and environments rich enough in complexity to re-engage behavioral systems that have been dormant for years. Wildlife SOS and equivalent organizations have demonstrated that rehabilitation is possible — recovered bears show foraging, play, and natural social behavior — and that it requires sustained long-term investment in both resources and expertise.