Polar bears are among the most challenging zoo animals to keep at high welfare standards. Their vast natural range and specialized physiology make captivity inherently limiting.
Polar bear welfare in captivity is deeply challenging. Their natural range is continental in scale, and captive environments necessarily restrict their movement to a fraction of what they would naturally experience. Pacing and head-bobbing stereotypies, seen in the majority of captive polar bears, indicate chronic frustration and psychological distress. Progressive facilities provide complex aquatic environments, foraging challenges, and social housing. Many welfare experts now argue that the welfare costs of keeping polar bears exceed the educational or conservation benefits, and some accreditation bodies are discouraging new polar bear exhibits.