Bear species in zoos require sophisticated enrichment programs that match their naturally wide-ranging, omnivorous, and cognitively complex behavioral ecology to prevent stereotypies and support psychological wellbeing.
Bear welfare in captivity is one of the more challenging domains in zoo animal management, primarily because the natural home range requirements of most species are incompatible with zoo space realities. This makes enrichment quality the critical lever for welfare improvement within existing infrastructure. Evidence-based bear enrichment programs target multiple behavioral systems simultaneously: foraging (food puzzles, scatter feeding), exploration (novel objects, scent trails), locomotion (complex climbing and swimming structures), and social behavior (for gregarious species like sun bears). The elimination of stereotypies is the minimum welfare standard; positive indicators of bear wellbeing include play behavior, exploration of novel items, and voluntary approach to keepers for training sessions. Regular behavioral monitoring using ethograms enables welfare assessment and enrichment program refinement.