Sun bears are the smallest bear species and among the least studied, facing severe welfare crises from bile farming in Southeast Asia and inadequate captive conditions across zoos and private facilities.
Sun bears in bile farming operations endure extreme suffering through permanent confinement in cages so small they cannot stand or turn around, repeated painful procedures to extract bile, and often chronic physical illness from the extraction devices. Even bears rescued from bile farms often bear permanent physical and psychological damage. In zoos, sun bears require complex environments with climbing opportunities, foraging enrichment, and appropriate social conditions that many facilities fail to provide.