United Kingdom Ramsgate Zoo / Merrie England Zoo / Monkey Jungle & Zoo (approx 1926- approx 1965) , Ramsgate, Ken

[Andrew Swales]

Are you sure it was American Black rather than Himalayan? They got some kind of prestigious animal welfare award for their Himalayan Bear enclosure, which apparently was huge and had lots of enrichment. Then I believe things didn't go quite so well, though I'm hazy about the detail.

No, I'm not at all sure...! Has to be the same enclosure, surely, so yes must be Asiatics. I recall them being referred to as 'Blacks', so I assumed they were NA, but as you say Asiatics were usually called 'Himalayans' in those days. The 'moon bear' had yet to be discovered, was it by the same explorer who named the 'painted dog' and the 'red-crowned crane'..?! Anyway, we were taken into the indoor house where I can remember high ceilings and 'nesting baskets', and saw where the work was starting on a steep outdoor, wooded enclosure. All looked very good, by any standards. Presumably the bears were still at LL..? It was a big project and they were proud of it, but our interest was really out of politeness(!) and was a bit false, I'm afraid - I think we were there to collect a Geoffroy's Cat.

 

[Tim May]

Are you sure it was American Black rather than Himalayan? They got some kind of prestigious animal welfare award for their Himalayan Bear enclosure....

Yes Glasgow received Asiatic black bears from Loch Lomond; see the link below for details.
Glasgow Zoo - Now Closed

 

[FBBird]

No, I'm not at all sure...! Has to be the same enclosure, surely, so yes must be Asiatics. I recall them being referred to as 'Blacks', so I assumed they were NA, but as you say Asiatics were usually called 'Himalayans' in those days. The 'moon bear' had yet to be discovered, was it by the same explorer who named the 'painted dog' and the 'red-crowned crane'..?! Anyway, we were taken into the indoor house where I can remember high ceilings and 'nesting baskets', and saw where the work was starting on a steep outdoor, wooded enclosure. All looked very good, by any standards. Presumably the bears were still at LL..? It was a big project and they were proud of it, but our interest was really out of politeness(!) and was a bit false, I'm afraid - I think we were there to collect a Geoffroy's Cat.

Certainly elevated nesting baskets were mentioned in the contex of the award winning enclosure. I imagine they're pretty standard for modern bears -- certainly Jersey's Spectacled (whoops I mean Andean!) have them.
'Red-crowned' Crane gets me every time. It's not a Balearica sp., so let's not have any confusion. Despite any political stuff, I'll stick with 'Manchurian' or at a pinch, 'Japanese'.