Sun bears are highly intelligent, arboreal bears from Southeast Asian forests whose welfare in zoo settings requires complex enrichment and naturalistic habitat design.
Sun bear welfare requires enclosures that replicate key features of forest habitat - opportunities for climbing, excavation and complex foraging. Fixed enrichment items quickly lose value; varied, novel enrichment that challenges problem-solving is essential. Sun bears rescued from bile farming often require extended rehabilitation and may have physical and psychological damage from years of captivity.