Former Polar Bear Holders

EmmettTheOtter said:
Well the average high in San Diego in the warmest month is 77 degrees so they won't get too hot.
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I searched it up and you're right but I'm surprised that 77 is the average high because just a month or two ago it was consistently in the 80s and low 90s for a couple weeks. And that's not just a one time thing, it's usually around that temperature for a couple weeks to a month atleast once a year.
 
Neil chace said:
I mean, currently the hottest place in the US with polar bears is probably Alburqerque. I wonder how well the polar bears are doing there.
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Must be given a lot of water. Plus, the high altitude means it isn't as hot as other SW desert areas.

I remember once going to the Maryland Zoo on a nearly 100 degree day and the polar bears were swimming in their pool (which must have felt nice).
 
DavidBrown said:
In California the Sacramento Zoo, Micke Grove Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, and Fresno Zoo all formerly exhibited polar bears.
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Oakland Zoo did as well, but in the 1930s in their original location in Snow Park, across from Lake Merritt.
 
The list of ex UK Zoo holders of Polar Bears would be pretty long indeed.

If any of our younger ZooChatters want a half term project, have a look at this question.

Which UK Zoos (current or closed) used to keep Polar Bears but do not now!
If 2 or more do this, for a bit of fun & gaining knowledge, then I'll donate £25 to your favourite animal conservation scheme of choice!
 
Pootle said:
The list of ex UK Zoo holders of Polar Bears would be pretty long indeed.

If any of our younger ZooChatters want a half term project, have a look at this question.

Which UK Zoos (current or closed) used to keep Polar Bears but do not now!
If 2 or more do this, for a bit of fun & gaining knowledge, then I'll donate £25 to your favourite animal conservation scheme of choice!
Click to expand...

You would be interested in reading about Mica the Polar Bear which brought an end to Bristol Zoo (thankfully) keeping them in around 1989 after many decades & a couple of successful births. The enclosure was completely unsuitable & the bears did look distressed, although it does turn out that Mica was rescued from a travelling circus, & the disturbing pacing he did was the exact continual same few steps towards, then repeat backwards that he did in his small circus wagon, despite his Bristol enclosure being bigger. The poor soul had severe mental health issues, & after countrywide news coverage & many protests to have them rehoused (I went on one when I was 17 in 1988), it was decided that Mica would be put to sleep (his partner had already died) Bristol would never keep Polar Bears again.
Sadly, Bristol Zoo (one of the world’s oldest zoos) is closing this year, with the residents being moved to a sister zoo several miles away.
Evidently there is a wonderful wildlife sanctuary/park in Yorkshire, which keeps Polar Bears in a vast paddock compleat with lakes & dens, which I would LOVE to go to, as P B’s are one of my favourite animals, but unfortunately it’s a few hours away from where I live, & I am now disabled & unable to travel.
I have enjoyed reading & collecting books & literature on the PB’s at Bristol Zoo, but would enjoy reading other peoples experience of seeing them. Thank You ‍❄️
 
Simon Harding said:
You would be interested in reading about Mica the Polar Bear which brought an end to Bristol Zoo (thankfully)
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Hi Simon,

I have just spent the last half hour reading about this bear online about his history and the legacy he helped with keeping bears in general, not just polar bears, thanks for sharing the knowledge.:)

Have a look at Highland Wildlife Park website in addition to YWP, you can see a few films I hope you will enjoy of their polar bear 'celebration'/collection!. UK’s only polar bear cub celebrates first birthday | Highland Wildlife Park
 
Pootle said:
The list of ex UK Zoo holders of Polar Bears would be pretty long indeed.

If any of our younger ZooChatters want a half term project, have a look at this question.

Which UK Zoos (current or closed) used to keep Polar Bears but do not now!
If 2 or more do this, for a bit of fun & gaining knowledge, then I'll donate £25 to your favourite animal conservation scheme of choice!
Click to expand...
ZootierlisteHomepage
£25 to the save pangolin organization
 
Pootle said:
Hi Simon,

I have just spent the last half hour reading about this bear online about his history and the legacy he helped with keeping bears in general, not just polar bears, thanks for sharing the knowledge.:)

Have a look at Highland Wildlife Park website in addition to YWP, you can see a few films I hope you will enjoy of their polar bear 'celebration'/collection!. UK’s only polar bear cub celebrates first birthday | Highland Wildlife Park
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help!
 
I remember that Coldilocks, Philadelphia’s last polar bear passed away in 2018. I think I heard a rumor somewhere that the zoo wants to have polar bears again in the future.
 
Animallover360 said:
I remember that Coldilocks, Philadelphia’s last polar bear passed away in 2018. I think I heard a rumor somewhere that the zoo wants to have polar bears again in the future.
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Given rising standards in polar bear care, if Philadelphia wanted to bring polar bears back, A, the penguins'll need ANOTHER new exhibit elsewhere in the Zoo, and B, if they had to do a Lincoln Park styled habitat (arguably the best model for a zoo with limited space to exhibit polar bears), that could mean either saying goodbye to sloth bears or saying goodbye to Andean bears.
 
Brazil:
- Vila Isabel zoo (now closed) (?);
- Rio de Janeiro zoo (died 1951);
- Parque Aclimação (now-closed) (arrived 1929, died 1939);
Argentina:
- Buenos Aires zoo (now closed) (died 2013);
- Mendoza zoo (now closed) (died 2016);
Uruguay:
- Zoológico Villa Dolores (?);
Chile:
- Santiago de Chile zoo (died 2015);
Mexico:
- Chapultepec zoo (died 2013);
- León zoo (died 2016);
- Morelia zoo (died 2018);
Venezuela:
- Zoológico Las Delicias (unsure about that one) (?);
Portugal
- Lisbon zoo (?);
South Africa:
- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (died 2014).
 
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If you also want to know the former keepers from Europe you have this Zootierlist link for this:
ZootierlisteHomepage
For my country (Belgium) it are the following zoos that had polar bears in the past:
- Zoo Antwerpen (1851 to 2004)
- Planckendael (only temporarily behind the scenes to let females from Zoo Antwerp give birth)
- Limburgse Zoo (closed in 1997)
- Ghent Zoo (closed in 1905)
- Zoo Bruxelles (closed in 1878)
 
ホッキョクグマのいる動物園水族館は？飼育展示施設とホッキョクグマ個体情報まとめ - アリエスコム ARIEScom

According to this website the following zoos in japan don't keep polar bears anymore:

Hirakawa lost 0.1 Kana at October 2020

Himeji City zoo sent away 1.0 Horuto to Asahiyama at May 2020 (thank goodness)

Higashiyama zoo lost 0.1 Sasukacchi/Sasquach at may 2020

The following zoos weren't given a date of loss

Nogeyama zoo

Okuhida bear park

Tokuyama zoo (however, I saw masterplans which planned on bringing polar bears back.)

Rakutenchi amusement park in Beppu

Aso Cuddly Dominion
 
Los Angeles zoo last polar bear was in 2003 ,
Her name was sweetheart and she was the original cub that arrived with her brother Bruno in 1967 . He died in 96’ and she died in 2003. The habitat was replaced with the LAIR exhibit. The back wall is still there and the only thing standing from the original exhibit.
 
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