Polar Bear Exhibits

[Duerener1]

Here is a list of polar bears in the US

Zoos in den USA | Eisbären im Zoo - Polar Bears in Zoos

 

[snowleopard]

I began this thread less than two years ago and there was a total of 31 zoos in the USA with Polar Bears and now there are 30 zoos with the species. Even with the glut of brand-new exhibits, there was a decline of one zoo due to the recent decision by Indianapolis to send away their remaining bear to Detroit.

I highlighted the zoos with new or modernized exhibits since 2010:

Alaska - NEW exhibit (2017?)
Bronx
Brookfield - NEW exhibit
Buffalo - NEW exhibit
Cincinnati
Columbus - NEW exhibit
Como Park - NEW exhibit
Denver
Detroit
Henry Vilas - NEW exhibit
Kansas City - NEW exhibit
Lincoln Park - NEW exhibit (2017?)
Louisville - NEW exhibit
Maryland
Memphis
Milwaukee County
North Carolina - NEW exhibit
Omaha
Oregon - NEW exhibit (2018?)
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Point Defiance - NEW exhibit (2019?)
Rio Grande
Saint Louis - NEW exhibit
San Diego
San Diego SeaWorld
San Francisco
Seneca Park
Toledo
Utah's Hogle - NEW exhibit

Total: 30 American zoos with Polar Bears (including 14 new or modernized exhibits) but overall the population of bears has easily dropped in half from what it was a couple of decades ago. At least 6 zoos (Bronx, Omaha, Oregon, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seneca Park) are left with only 1-2 elderly bears.

 

[MidwestFan]

Any update on efforts to import Canadian polar bears to AZA zoos in the US?

 

[Arizona Docent]

And that makes two cities where you can see them at two different facilities: Chicago and San Diego.

 

[snowleopard]

There is still no allowance for importation of bears from Canadian zoos. In Canada there are 5 zoos with Polar Bears (Toronto, Assiniboine Park, St. Felicien, Cochrance and Quebec Aquarium) with a total of 20 captive bears. Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg has 9 bears in its Journey to Churchill complex.

On a side note, most of the 30 American zoos with Polar Bears are located in cities in the northern half of the nation. Only 5-7 of the zoos could be deemed "southern".

 

[TZFan]

Currently the Canadian population has 5 breeding pairs (though only 3 animals have reproduced) but two pairs feature newly matured females. In the next 5 years there will 4 more females and 7 more males mature enough to breed. If the rules ever do change Canada would be a good source of bears and that's without counting any more orphaned bears that get adopted.

 

[FunkyGibbon]

Looking on zoolex at new polar bear exhibits in the US and in Europe they all seem to share a few characteristics: about half an acre in size, depicting tundra and northern seashores rather than ice pack, a variety of natural substrates and shallow pools and then a deep dive pool with underwater viewing. Then there are the much larger enclosures emerging, for example HWP in Scotland or Orsa Bjornpark in Sweden. These are typified by fencing rather than walls, no underwater viewing and a general lack of artificial features. Zoolex has yet to feature one of these.

Which category do most of the new exhibits opening in the US fall into?

A second question: what is the state of the captive population in Europe? Is it possible the US could import bears from there?