Bears are wide-ranging omnivores whose welfare in captivity requires large spaces, complex environments, and seasonal variation.
Bear welfare in captivity sits on a spectrum from the degraded conditions of bile farms and roadside zoos to the best large sanctuary environments. Zoo bear enclosures, even in well-regarded institutions, rarely provide the space and environmental complexity that bears need to express their full behavioural repertoire. Pacing stereotypies are common even in enriched zoo environments. Dedicated sanctuary facilities with multiple hectares of naturalistic habitat and appropriate social conditions represent the gold standard for bears that cannot be released to the wild.