Bears in zoos often suffer from inadequate environmental complexity. Modern bear welfare programs address their wide-ranging, omnivorous nature with complex habitats and enrichment.
Bear welfare in zoos has improved substantially with recognition that their wide-ranging, cognitively complex natural history requires more than minimal space and twice-daily feeding. The stereotypic pacing that was once considered normal in captive bears — and sometimes even attributed to natural behavior — is now recognized as a welfare indicator of environmental deprivation. Complex exhibits with varied terrain, water features, multiple foraging opportunities, and regularly rotated enrichment items provide the cognitive and behavioral engagement bears need. The most welfare-positive bear facilities provide exhibit complexity that changes seasonally, enrichment that requires problem-solving rather than simple food access, and social housing where appropriate to species. The conservation value of zoo bears is significant for threatened species like sun bears and sloth bears whose habitat is being rapidly destroyed.