Horrible Polar Bear Exhibit

Bears- Polar Bear Exhibit. February 17, 2013. While the exhibit does get a large amount of shade in the summer and the pool is nicely sized for Tundra, the exhibit is concrete, outdated, and frankly a bit small. The zoo has both the funds and the space to expand and update it but just no drive. If the plan to get a new Polar Bear after Tundra passes (he is elderly correct?) then they better fix up this exhibit, especially if they want to try to breed the species.

Doesn't seem so small and bad.

Eagle said:

Doesn't seem so small and bad.

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Looking at it the picture makes it look alright but in person it doesn't look that good at all.

~Thylo

ThylacineAlive said:

Bears- Polar Bear Exhibit. February 17, 2013. While the exhibit does get a large amount of shade in the summer and the pool is nicely sized for Tundra, the exhibit is concrete, outdated, and frankly a bit small. The zoo has both the funds and the space to expand and update it but just no drive. If the plan to get a new Polar Bear after Tundra passes (he is elderly correct?) then they better fix up this exhibit, especially if they want to try to breed the species.

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Just curious how you know the zoo "has no drive" to expand or update the exhibit? Last I checked WCS was wrestling with over $60 million in storm damage to the NY Aquarium, not to mention a very long list of other conservation and infrastructure challenges, in New York and around the world. I won't argue that this is a very outdated polar bear exhibit, however.

reduakari said:

Just curious how you know the zoo "has no drive" to expand or update the exhibit? Last I checked WCS was wrestling with over $60 million in storm damage to the NY Aquarium, not to mention a very long list of other conservation and infrastructure challenges, in New York and around the world. I won't argue that this is a very outdated polar bear exhibit, however.

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The WCS for the past 20 years focused on the Bronx Zoo building exhibits such as Madagascar and Congo. Last year they opened the new animal hospital at the zoo. The wcs has shifted it focus now to the aquarium and smaller zoos. The zoo has a single polar bear and will most likely not replace her after she passes away. The zoo is not looking into a bear exhibit as the grizzly bears are already in a good enclousure. Also the zoo does not want to disturb any more of its forest which makes the zoo different from other zoos as you are surrounded in nature. If the zoo does get a new exhibit it will be for African animals not polar bears.

The zoo and WCS have had 3 directors in the past 12 years and the newest is quite new.
The past does not necessarily predict the future

The former polar bear exhibit was renovated in 2019 to be a perfect home for dholes.