Bears in the UK

[Fallax]

I've been scouting around forums for a while now and many have said the UK is lacking in bears and that their future in the UK isn't the best. However in recent years it does especially look like they are going stronger. Feel free to discuss bears in the UK and what zoos should get what bears.

Also I added a poll for which bears you think the UK needs more of.

Here is a list of the collections with bears as of November 2017 (may be mistakes so please tell me if so) :

American Black Bear:

• Woburn Safari Park

Asiatic Black Bear:

• Dudley Zoo
• Wingham Wildlife Park

Brown Bear:

• Camperdown Wildlife Centre
• Dartmoor Zoo
• Five Sisters Zoo Park
• Heythrop Zoo
• Scottish Deer Centre
• Welsh Mountain Zoo
• Whipsnade Zoo
• Wildwood Trust

Giant Panda:

• Edinburgh Zoo

Polar Bear:

• Highland Wildlife Park
• Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Sloth Bear:

• Whipsnade Zoo

Spectacled Bear:

• Belfast Zoo
• Chester Zoo
• Jersey Zoo
• Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
• Port Lympne Reserve
• South Lakes Safari Zoo

Sun Bear:

• Belfast Zoo
• Chester Zoo
• Colchester Zoo
• Edinburgh Zoo

 

[MagpieGoose]

Brown Bear:

• Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

The last 2 female brown bears left BD for Scottish Deer Centre a few years ago

 

[Fallax]

The last 2 female brown bears left BD for Scottish Deer Centre a few years ago

Thanks for telling me, someone needs to update zootierliste.

 

[pipaluk]

Are we able to vote for all species?!

 

[Fallax]

Are we able to vote for all species?!

I wish lol

 

[bongorob]

Thanks for telling me, someone needs to update zootierliste.

i've done it.

 

[pipaluk]

I will kick off with a few suggestions of zoos that don't have bears but could, or have bears but could have more without suggesting species yet:

No Bears- could have them

Twycross
London
Blackpool
Howletts
Linton
Paignton
Banham
Wild Place
Any Safari Park ( Woburn excepted)
Cotswold WP
New Forest WP
Marwell




Hold at least one bear species, could hold more:
Whipsnade
Port Lympne
Chester
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Woburn
Dudley ( bear ravine)
Welsh Mountain
Colchester?
(Beale Park) plenty of space but won't happen!

 

[Fallax]

I will kick off with a few suggestions of zoos that don't have bears but could, or have bears but could have more without suggesting species yet:

No Bears- could have them

Twycross
London
Blackpool
Howletts
Linton
Paignton
Banham
Wild Place
Any Safari Park ( Woburn excepted)
Cotswold WP
New Forest WP
Marwell




Hold at least one bear species, could hold more:
Whipsnade
Port Lympne
Chester
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Woburn
Dudley ( bear ravine)
Welsh Mountain
Colchester?
(Beale Park) plenty of space but won't happen!

Would like to see your ideas for species

 

[Chlidonias]

It seems so weird that London doesn't have bears any more.

 

[littleRedPanda]

It would be nice just to see more of the Whipsnade Sloth Bears!

 

[Fallax]

It seems so weird that London doesn't have bears any more.

What was their last bear holding?

 

[MagpieGoose]

What was their last bear holding?

Sloth Bears- the remaining stock from London was moved to Whipsnade in 2008

 

[Tim May]

It seems so weird that London doesn't have bears any more.

Especially for those of us who recall seeing every species of bear at London Zoo.

 

[Pertinax]

What was their last bear holding?

And even the Sloth Bears only returned to London Zoo after a period of having no Bears at all.

 

[pipaluk]

If London Zoo has been without bears for 9 years, is this the longest time they have been without them throughout the zoo's history?

 

[Tim May]

If London Zoo has been without bears for 9 years, is this the longest time they have been without them throughout the zoo's history?

London Zoo’s first bears were acquired in 1828 and the zoo kept bears almost constantly from its very early days until comparatively recently.

The bears were all removed from the Mappin Terraces by 1986 and did not return to that part of the zoo for eleven years until the Sri Lankan sloth bears were obtained in 1997. (As “MagpieGoose” has already mentioned, these were sent to Whipsnade in 2008 and there have been no bears at London Zoo since.)

However, during much of the eleven year interval, 1986 -1997, when there were no bears on the Mappin Terraces, there were still giant pandas elsewhere in the zoo.

Consequently, I’m sure you’re correct; the last nine years has been the longest period in London Zoo’s history when there have been no bears of any sort in the collection.

 

[pipaluk]

London Zoo’s first bears were acquired in 1828 and the zoo kept bears almost constantly from its very early days until comparatively recently.

The bears were all removed from the Mappin Terraces by 1986 and did not return to that part of the zoo for eleven years until the Sri Lankan sloth bears were obtained in 1997. (As “MagpieGoose” has already mentioned, these were sent to Whipsnade in 2008 and there have been no bears at London Zoo since.)

However, during much of the eleven year interval, 1986 -1997, when there were no bears on the Mappin Terraces, there were still giant pandas elsewhere in the zoo.

Consequently, I’m sure you’re correct; the last nine years has been the longest period in London Zoo’s history when there have been no bears of any sort in the collection.

Thanks for confirming this Tim

 

[zooboy]

London Zoo’s first bears were acquired in 1828 and the zoo kept bears almost constantly from its very early days until comparatively recently.

The bears were all removed from the Mappin Terraces by 1986 and did not return to that part of the zoo for eleven years until the Sri Lankan sloth bears were obtained in 1997. (As “MagpieGoose” has already mentioned, these were sent to Whipsnade in 2008 and there have been no bears at London Zoo since.)

However, during much of the eleven year interval, 1986 -1997, when there were no bears on the Mappin Terraces, there were still giant pandas elsewhere in the zoo.

Consequently, I’m sure you’re correct; the last nine years has been the longest period in London Zoo’s history when there have been no bears of any sort in the collection.

Helpful information, Tim; I miss the bears at London and hope one day at least one species will return (Sloth bears could be nicely accommodated in the Land of the Lions....!). Is it true that Whipsnade is the only currently open UK collection to have had bears in their collection throughout their existence? It is good to see that they have recently received two new Brown bears and thus continuing the life of one of Whipsnade's iconic first exhibits.

 

[pipaluk]

[QUOTE="zooboy, post: 1048442, member: 535" Is it true that Whipsnade is the only currently open UK collection to have had bears in their collection throughout their existence? [/QUOTE]
I think this is probably correct. Of the current bear holders, only remote possibilities I can suggest would be Dudley, Belfast or Woburn.
Dartmoor?

 

[Clunes]

Wild Place will have Bears by 2019. This has been confirmed by WP and Bristol Zoo. In fact, if you want to bid in their auction, you can get the chance to name one. They should be in the ancient European woodland section but that may be subject to change.