Vanhkham Xayoudoum, Chanhlalee Khonemany, Sengphet Chanthaluck, Fatong Yang, Sorphea Phorn, Vi Le Tuong, Zachary A. David, Judy Blythe, Da-in Lee, Yu Lee Shin, Ji Yoon Kang, Yu-jin Lee, Jeong-Jin Yang, Matt Hunt, Dong-Hyuk Jeong

Welfare assessment integrates animal-based and environmental indicators. Although a bear welfare tool was validated in zoo-housed American black and brown bears (2016), its applicability to sanctuaries and to Asiatic black (ABB) and sun bears (SB) remains unevaluated. This study validated the tool in sanctuary-housed ABBs and SBs and collected user feedback for refinement.
Six keepers and four researchers assessed 23 bears (16 ABBs, 7 SBs) at sanctuaries in Laos and South Korea. Teams conducted behavioral observations (1 h/day, 7 days), followed by welfare assessments (Physical, Behavior, Environment). Semi-structured interviews evaluated usability. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).
Overall inter- and intra-observer ICCs were 0.86, indicating good reliability. Domain-level ICCs were 0.83/0.91 for Physical (good/excellent), 0.58/0.89 for Behavior (moderate/good), and 0.84/1.00 for Environment (good/excellent). The lowest inter-observer agreement was for stereotypic behavior (ICC = 0.45), reflecting context-dependent expression and observer interpretation.
The tool was applicable to sanctuary-housed ABBs and SBs, supported by strong agreement between staff. However, moderate agreement in the Behavior domain indicates a need for clearer definitions and standardized criteria. Variation in stereotypy scoring likely reflects differences in interpretation, particularly for ambiguous behaviors like paw suckling. Assessors recommended recording behavioral frequency rather than binary presence/absence to improve sensitivity.
This study supports extending zoo-validated bear welfare tools to sanctuary settings, enabling routine monitoring by keepers and researchers. Refinement of the Behavior domain will improve reliability and applicability in sanctuary environments in which individual history and environmental complexity influence welfare expression.