Polar bear welfare in zoo settings is challenged by their exceptional natural range requirements and the thermal demands of arctic-adapted physiology in temperate facilities.
Polar bear zoo welfare illustrates the fundamental challenge of maintaining arctic-adapted species in temperate climate facilities. Unlike species whose natural thermal comfort range overlaps with temperate zoo climates, polar bears experience chronic thermal stress in many facilities. The welfare case for polar bear keeping in non-arctic climates is challenging to defend without exceptional investment in cooling systems and habitat complexity. Growing awareness of this welfare challenge has led several zoos to phase out polar bear programs or invest substantially in arctic-themed facilities with environmental management systems.