As zoo bear lifespans extend through improved veterinary care, geriatric welfare including musculoskeletal disease and cognitive decline requires proactive management.
Geriatric zoo bear welfare requires anticipating and proactively managing the musculoskeletal and cognitive changes of aging. The most common welfare failure is inadequately treated arthritis — bears stoically mask pain, and reduced activity can be mistaken for contentment rather than recognised as a pain response. Regular mobility scoring, radiographic assessment from middle age, and multimodal pain management significantly improve geriatric bear welfare. Quality of life assessment must be explicit and communicated — clear criteria for intervention and euthanasia decisions protect animal welfare from institutional inertia.