Welsh Mountain Zoo at Colwyn Bay is a fairly traditional animal collection, chiefly interested in the display of animals as a money-making venture than anything else.(not critisising but that's a fact..) So I think they took these bears because they were offered and they have a bear enclosure. I can't imagine them making any effort to display bears of rarer subspecies or species though, its just not their style..
Bear Situation In The UK
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Welsh Mountain Zoo at Colwyn Bay is a fairly traditional animal collection, chiefly interested in the display of animals as a money-making venture than anything else.(not critisising but that's a fact..) So I think they took these bears because they were offered and they have a bear enclosure. I can't imagine them making any effort to display bears of rarer subspecies or species though, its just not their style..
The new Conservation Park in Bristol hopes to have Brown Bears and Indian Sloth Bears.
Historic note- Bristol used to have Sloth Bears back in the 1950's. They were in traditional barred cages surrounding one side of the Aquarium building, and there was access through the dens the back to a circular pit around which the Aquarium building is built..
They may have had Himalayan or Brown Bears too, and wolf was shown here too. Later the bears were moved to a range of specially built 'pits' adjacent to the Polar bears- there were Brown bears in one and a mixed exhibit of Himalayan and Sun Bears( plus Sloth?) in the larger one.
I think the Polar BEar enclosure, though much older, had a longer life than the ones built for the Brown and Black Bears. They were later demolished or modified for Gazelles, as you said. ( though I don't remember seeing Wolves at Bristol after the aquarium cages were demolished) After the Polar Bears finally died(i think the last one may have been euthanased) their enclosure for a while held Sumatran Tigers, before it made way for 'seals and Coasts'
I'd really like to see more bears kept in UK collections, particularly the smaller ones e.g. Sun & Spectacled Bears. However, it would also be great if one of the big zoos could do something with Polar Bears - I've never seen it, but imagine something like SeaWorld have got for them in this country! What a thought!
The future of polar bears in Britain at the moment seems to be on the shoulders of the zoological society of Scotland at the moment, be it at Edinburgh zoo or at the highland wildlife park, they seem set to keep the female Mercedes but no one at the moment seems to know where and if more animals will be brought in to join her.
Surely some of the bigger zoos down south could hold polar bears the 2 that spring to mind would be Chester or Whipsnade.
Surely some of the bigger zoos down south could hold polar bears the 2 that spring to mind would be Chester or Whipsnade.
History of Bristol Polar Bears
Yes, I think they probably were.
In fact, Bristol had been quite successful in keeping and breeding Polar Bears over many years. Their original breeding pair were called William and Cynthia. (They feature on a number of older Bristol postcards) They bred most years but the cubs repeatedly died until they managed to improve the denning facilities, when they succeeded in rearing a cub, 'Sebastian. The old male later died, leaving Cynthia and Sebastian, and a 2nd young female 'Nina' was aquired from Copenhagen Zoo. For some years they had the trio, Cynthia, her son Sebastian, and Nina. Once mature, Sebastian and Nina produced cubs in several years and I think at least one year Cynthia reared a cub as well.
When Sebastian died. I think they obtained another male, possibly called Misha(?). He may have lived in a circus and certainly already had stereotyped behaviour before coming to Bristol. This was around the time that zoos started being critisiced over the keeping of Polar Bears, and Bristol was a typical target. There were reports of their bears 'being driven mad' but I don't think they were actually much worse of than Polar Bears in any other UK zoos. Bristol had a 'hot potato' to deal with and as you said, they were finally euthanased as critisism of their situation mounted.
I think both Bristol zoo'spolar bears were euthanased. They were then stuffed and are still on display in the zoo's education centre (Saw them on a school visit (-. Weren't they in a REALLY bad way, stereotypic behavior wise?
Yes, I think they probably were.
In fact, Bristol had been quite successful in keeping and breeding Polar Bears over many years. Their original breeding pair were called William and Cynthia. (They feature on a number of older Bristol postcards) They bred most years but the cubs repeatedly died until they managed to improve the denning facilities, when they succeeded in rearing a cub, 'Sebastian. The old male later died, leaving Cynthia and Sebastian, and a 2nd young female 'Nina' was aquired from Copenhagen Zoo. For some years they had the trio, Cynthia, her son Sebastian, and Nina. Once mature, Sebastian and Nina produced cubs in several years and I think at least one year Cynthia reared a cub as well.
When Sebastian died. I think they obtained another male, possibly called Misha(?). He may have lived in a circus and certainly already had stereotyped behaviour before coming to Bristol. This was around the time that zoos started being critisiced over the keeping of Polar Bears, and Bristol was a typical target. There were reports of their bears 'being driven mad' but I don't think they were actually much worse of than Polar Bears in any other UK zoos. Bristol had a 'hot potato' to deal with and as you said, they were finally euthanased as critisism of their situation mounted.
Yeah it was Misha or Mischa. The told me when I visited. Any pictures?
I wish Edinburgh and other UK zoos would keep more bears, especially Polar bears, as long as they have decent facilities to keep them. The one Mercedes is in at the moment is kind of depressing and victorian looking without a decent sized pool. Hope they improve it sometime.
I wish Edinburgh and other UK zoos would keep more bears, especially Polar bears, as long as they have decent facilities to keep them. The one Mercedes is in at the moment is kind of depressing and victorian looking without a decent sized pool. Hope they improve it sometime.
I've a number of postcards of Bristol Polar Bears which cover all the animals I mentioned in the above. I'll try and upload them sometime...
I imagine any zoo contemplating keeping them again would have to put a huge case forward- with an equally lavish plan for the display. But with Global warming now such an issue, there might be some sympathy for the rationale of captive breeding now. Edinburgh would probably be a good start as they still have the old female. An enclosure would need to be a very different from the existing one to avoid critisism though.
London's Sloth Bears are planned to move out to Whipsnade. Not sure of the time scale. Their place on the Mappin's, it's rumoured, will be filled by Red-necked Wallabies.
The Rare Species Conservation Centre owns a pair of Sun Bears. The were supposed to have arrived from Cambodia by now. Does anybody know if they've arrived yet?
Heythrop now has 1 Polar Bear (female, 'Zara', b.Karlsruhe Zoo late 80s), 1 Asiatic Black Bear (male, 'Dennis', b.Dudley Zoo c.1984) and 1 Brown Bear (female, b.Czech Republic 2007).
Bristol's Misha came from Chipperfield's Circus but there is still debate over whether steryotyped behaviour was a result of his circus background or Bristols management of him. He and Nina were Euthanased in 1992.
A survey on privately held DWA scheduled species was conducted in December last year and it lists nine bears in private hands at that time. Dartmoor Wildlife Park accounted for three and Heythrop for two. That leaves four others. Certainly Jolly's Circus' bear (female American Black Bear, 'Ming', b.c.1984) may well be one of them if indeed the law states that circuses be covered by the DWA Act now (traditionally this wasn't the case). Can anyone shed any light on these other privately-held bears? The survey may well be flawed of course.
The Rare Species Conservation Centre owns a pair of Sun Bears. The were supposed to have arrived from Cambodia by now. Does anybody know if they've arrived yet?
Heythrop now has 1 Polar Bear (female, 'Zara', b.Karlsruhe Zoo late 80s), 1 Asiatic Black Bear (male, 'Dennis', b.Dudley Zoo c.1984) and 1 Brown Bear (female, b.Czech Republic 2007).
Bristol's Misha came from Chipperfield's Circus but there is still debate over whether steryotyped behaviour was a result of his circus background or Bristols management of him. He and Nina were Euthanased in 1992.
A survey on privately held DWA scheduled species was conducted in December last year and it lists nine bears in private hands at that time. Dartmoor Wildlife Park accounted for three and Heythrop for two. That leaves four others. Certainly Jolly's Circus' bear (female American Black Bear, 'Ming', b.c.1984) may well be one of them if indeed the law states that circuses be covered by the DWA Act now (traditionally this wasn't the case). Can anyone shed any light on these other privately-held bears? The survey may well be flawed of course.
What is going on at regents park replacing sloth bear with red necked wallabies, why not get rid of the okapi and stick in a couple of black faced sheep! Hopefully this will be a short term measure not wanting to go off thread here but surely the time has come again for a major rethink on the mappin terraces.
The Sloth bears at London Zoo don't make a brilliant display- often they are nowhere to be seen while one or more exhibit stereotyped behaviour. I'm sure the reason behind moving them is because its a bad display rather than benefitting th3e bears in any way. Wallabies sounds an even duller exhibit though.
Misha was the only one of Bristol's Polar Bears that I saw exhibit stereotyped behaviour. That indicates to me that it came with him, but it doesn't prove it of course...
The Sloth bears at London Zoo don't make a brilliant display- often they are nowhere to be seen while one or more exhibit stereotyped behaviour. I'm sure the reason behind moving them is because its a bad display rather than benefitting th3e bears in any way. Wallabies sounds an even duller exhibit though.
That is a good point. On my visit there in April, only one bear was on show and it was just pacing the perimeter fence. The langurs were also nowhere to be seen.
I can't imagine what would replace them though. I doubt it'd be wallabies in the long-term. Wolves perhaps? A type of big cat? A species of ape? A mixed species mountain habitat?