Polar bears in zoological collections face welfare challenges as ambassadors for a species whose wild survival is threatened by climate change. Good welfare requires meeting their complex physical and cognitive needs.
The welfare of captive polar bears and the conservation of their wild counterparts are increasingly intertwined. Zoo-housed polar bears who demonstrate stereotypic pacing or other distress indicators undermine the conservation message their institutions intend to convey. Modern polar bear facilities that provide large, naturalistic spaces with pools, substrate variation, novel enrichment, and complex feeding challenges achieve dramatically better welfare outcomes. As wild populations face escalating pressure from habitat loss, the importance of each captive polar bear as a conservation ambassador — and the importance of that ambassador living a demonstrably good life — increases.