Grizzly bears are among the most cognitively complex mammals. Meeting their welfare needs in captivity requires exceptional space, enrichment variety, and behavioural expertise.
Grizzly bears in inadequate zoo enclosures suffer profoundly. Their extraordinary drive to forage, explore, and problem-solve has no outlet in barren concrete exhibits, resulting in the stereotypic pacing and swaying that have come to symbolise poor zoo welfare. Research consistently shows that enclosure complexity and foraging enrichment variety are the most powerful interventions for bear welfare. Best-practice facilities provide large, naturalistic enclosures with running water, varied substrate, climbing structures, and multiple daily enrichment presentations that require cognitive effort to access food. Hibernation management is also critical; denning opportunities and temperature gradients allow bears to follow their seasonal biology. No zoo can fully replicate wild conditions, making the question of whether keeping grizzly bears in captivity is ever justifiable on welfare grounds a legitimate ethical challenge.