Polar bears in zoos face profound welfare challenges from behavioral and physiological mismatches between their Arctic adaptations and temperate zoo environments.
Polar bear captivity welfare represents perhaps the clearest case for questioning whether any zoo can provide adequate conditions for a species with such extreme behavioral and environmental requirements. The near-universal occurrence of stereotypic pacing in captive polar bears indicates fundamental welfare failure - the behaviors these animals evolved for (ice travel, seal hunting, long-distance swimming) cannot be accommodated in any realistic zoo setting. Several accredited zoos have made the welfare-appropriate decision to phase out their polar bear programs. The conservation justification for captive polar bears is weak given that climate change threatens the species in a way that captive breeding cannot address. Honest welfare assessment argues against maintaining polar bears in zoo conditions.