Polar bears face significant welfare challenges in captivity, from thermal management to stereotypic behaviour, compounded by the ethical complexity of holding Arctic-adapted species in temperate facilities.
Polar bear welfare in captivity represents one of the most challenging welfare cases in zoo management. These are animals whose every physiological and behavioural system evolved for Arctic conditions — sea ice navigation, long-distance swimming, seasonal fasting, and seal predation — that cannot be replicated in temperate zoo environments. The welfare gap is measurable and large: stereotypy rates, heat stress indicators, and dental wear from bar-chewing document chronic deprivation. High-investment facilities (large, chilled, complex environments) show dramatically better outcomes, but even best-practice zoos cannot fully meet the spatial needs of these animals. The conservation argument for captive polar bears — education and awareness of climate impacts — must be weighed honestly against the welfare costs of captivity.