Bears in captivity have complex welfare needs including large foraging areas, water, and diverse enrichment. Understanding their requirements helps evaluate zoo quality.
Bears in inadequate zoo environments frequently develop severe stereotypic pacing — one of the clearest indicators of poor welfare in captive animals. Their natural behaviour involves extensive foraging across large territories, requiring significant cognitive and physical stimulation. Welfare improvements that have proven effective include large naturalistic enclosures with varied terrain, natural substrate for digging, scatter feeding that requires foraging effort, rotating novel food items, water features for swimming and play, and olfactory enrichment using novel scents. Facilities that have redesigned bear habitats based on these principles report dramatic reductions in stereotypic behaviour. Bears in good welfare conditions show a rich repertoire of exploratory, foraging, and play behaviours.