Polar bears zoo conditions

[sisca]

Hi everyone.

I went to a zoo recently and it brought some questions to mind. Maybe someone can help me with the questions I couldn't find answers to online.

Thanks in advance

Why is it that many zoos in warm climates have polar bears?
Don't they need a cool envirnoment?

When there are multiple males in the same an area with a female why do they not fight?

 

[Arizona Docent]

My zoo has polar bears and we are in Tucson, Arizona, so that is probably the warmest climate any polar bears are kept in anywhere. Of course they have a cool pool to swim in, which I think all polar bear exhibits have nowadays, and they also have full time access to their indoor quarters.

My intuition would be to agree with you, that they need a cooler climate, but they appear to do fine at our zoo and there are no obvious health complications, so maybe it is ok? (If I ran the zoo I would still probably replace them with a warmer climate species, but the public and staff and other docents love them, so they are here to stay).

As for multiple males together, I do not think I have seen that arrangement at any zoo.

 

[Jacobea]

Hi everyone.

I went to a zoo recently and it brought some questions to mind. Maybe someone can help me with the questions I couldn't find answers to online.

Thanks in advance

Why is it that many zoos in warm climates have polar bears?
Don't they need a cool envirnoment?

I would assume that, at least in part, countries with warmer climates, like Singapore for example, keep polar bears because they are an iconic species.

 

[Blackduiker]

Strange as it sounds, I remember visiting the San Diego Zoo shortly after the original opening of their Polar Bear Plunge. And listening to a staff member, while watching them dive into the underwater viewing area, they informed us that the bears cannot tolerate the water if the temperature is dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Odd, since they endure much cooler temperatures in the arctic.

 

[Steve Robinson]

An old animal trainer, who had actually been there to see for himself, once told me that it can get quite warm in areas where Polar Bears are found. He also said that the radiation from the sun off the snow and ice can be intense. Apparently they can cope quite well with heat - more than we would normally give them credit for.

However, I don't believe that they can't cope with cold water. I think that is just zoo spin.

 

[Sun Wukong]

Why is it that many zoos in warm climates have polar bears?
Don't they need a cool envirnoment?

For the same reasons zoos in cold climates keep exotic animals that need a warm environment: because they are attractive & popular for the average zoo visitor.