I think that I saw at least 4 zoos on my latest zoo trip that all had a Syrian Brown Bear sign on a zoo exhibit when in fact my guess is that all of those bears are regular old Grizzly Bears. Several of the zoo owners that I met wouldn't know a coyote from a coati or what species of macaque they have in their collection and so they are completely clueless when it comes to running a modern zoo.
Yes, this and the nearby American Black Bear exhibit were the two enclosures where the zoo's owner (ancient lady, TV blasting in entrance) yelled that the bears were perfectly fine on cement. One thing that I didn't mention before, and it is apparent in this photo, is that both the black and brown bears were hanging out by long, white feeding tubes the whole time I was at the zoo. Those bears probably just sit in one place on concrete all day long while the zoo is open...just sad.
