Polar bear welfare in captivity is among the most challenging to achieve, as these wide-ranging predators have spatial, thermal, and behavioural needs that cannot be replicated in zoo environments.
Polar bear welfare in captivity presents one of the most fundamental welfare challenges in zoo management. These animals are physiologically and behaviourally adapted for vast Arctic ranges, where they travel enormous distances in search of seal prey on sea ice. The compressive translation of this lifestyle into zoo enclosures, however large and enriched, cannot provide what polar bears need: the sensory complexity of Arctic sea ice, the opportunity for extended continuous movement, and the cognitive engagement of genuine hunting. The prevalence of stereotypic pacing in captive polar bears - sometimes called 'zoo psychosis' - represents persistent evidence of welfare compromise that enrichment programmes reduce but cannot eliminate. The conservation argument for maintaining a captive polar bear population centres on climate-driven Arctic ice loss threatening wild populations, but this rationale requires genuine genetic management and realistic reintroduction prospects to justify the welfare compromise of captivity. Facilities in cold climates with very large, complex enclosures achieve better welfare outcomes than those in warm climates with smaller spaces, but the welfare bar for polar bears may be too high for most zoo environments to clear adequately.