Bears in zoos present significant welfare challenges due to their large natural ranges, complex foraging behaviors, and seasonal hibernation needs that standard exhibits poorly accommodate.
Bear welfare in captivity is a longstanding challenge that has driven significant exhibit redesign in progressive zoos. The core problem is that bears are wide-ranging, highly motivated foragers that need to invest hours daily in finding and processing food — a behavioral drive that cannot be met in traditional exhibit designs. Stereotypic pacing, which affects a high proportion of captive bears, is a direct expression of this thwarted motivation. Modern naturalistic exhibits that scatter food, hide it in substrate, and require bears to work for their nutrition address this need more effectively. The question of whether bears that evolved to hibernate should be kept in climates where hibernation is not possible remains contested; at minimum, facilities in warm climates should provide cool, den-like spaces that allow torpor-like rest during appropriate seasons.