Ranking the Bear Exhibits

GraysonDP

Well-Known Member
Using similar criteria to my lists for great apes and big cats, here are my picks for bear exhibits and they will be posted throughout the evening. Major factors include substrate, climbing opportunities, water/pools (especially for grizzlies and polar bears), rockwork, immersion, naturalism, size and welfare in general.

Grizzly Bear

  1. Woodland Park Zoo- 1994

  2. Minnesota Zoo- 2008

  3. Columbus Zoo- 2010*

  4. Northwest Trek- 1993

  5. Oklahoma City Zoo- 2007

  6. Akron Zoo- 2013

  7. Memphis Zoo- 2009

  8. Hogle Zoo- 2012

  9. Sedgwick County Zoo- 1993

  10. Bronx Zoo- 1968*

  11. Louisville Zoo- 2011

  12. Brookfield Zoo- 2010*

  13. Calgary Zoo- 1990s

  14. Henry Vilas Zoo- 2015

  15. North Carolina Zoo- 1995*

  16. Toronto Zoo- 1974*
  17. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo- 2008

  18. San Francisco Zoo- 2007
  19. Riverbanks Zoo- 2015

  20. Toledo Zoo- 1987* (Renovated in 2016)

  21. Zoo Montana

  22. Central Park Zoo- 1988 (Renovated in 2015)*

  23. Detroit Zoo- 1928*

  24. John Ball Zoo- Renovated in 2013

  25. Assiniboine Park Zoo

  26. Tulsa Zoo- 1978 (Renovated in 2013)

  27. San Diego Zoo- 1920s*

  28. Dakota Zoo

  29. Indianapolis Zoo- Renovated in 2008

  30. Great Plains Zoo- 1963

  31. Milwaukee County Zoo- 1961*

  32. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo- 1971*

  33. Little Rock Zoo

  34. Denver Zoo- 1918

  35. Roosevelt Park Zoo

  36. Chahinkapa Zoo

Black Bear

  1. Minnesota Zoo- 2012

  2. Oregon Zoo- 2007

  3. Northwest Trek- 1993

  4. Oklahoma City Zoo- 2007

  5. North Carolina Zoo- 1995*

  6. Knoxville Zoo- 2002*

  7. Lowry Park Zoo- 1990*

  8. Columbus Zoo- 1987* (Renovation in 2016)

  9. Zoo Miami- 2016*

  10. Calgary Zoo- 1990s

  11. Alexandria Zoo- 1998

  12. Virginia Zoo (Moon)- 2011

  13. Philadelphia Zoo (Moon)- 1980*

  14. Lincoln Park Zoo- 2005*

  15. Naples Zoo- 2009

  16. Memphis Zoo- 2006*
  17. Sedgwick County Zoo- 1993

  18. Roger Williams Park Zoo (Moon)- 1996

  19. Birmingham Zoo- 2015

  20. Cameron Park Zoo- 2005

  21. Topeka Zoo- 1997

  22. Audubon Zoo- 1984*

  23. Fort Worth Zoo- 2001*

  24. Binder Park Zoo- 2014

  25. Dickerson Park Zoo- 1989

  26. Great Plains Zoo

  27. Caldwell Zoo- 2011

  28. Tulsa Zoo- 2013

  29. Turtle Back Zoo

  30. Palm Beach Zoo- 2001

  31. Chehaw Wild Animal Park

  32. Jacksonville Zoo- 2001*

  33. Jackson Zoo- 2006

  34. Zoo America*

  35. Los Angeles Zoo- 1966*

  36. Assiniboine Park Zoo

  37. NEW Zoo- 2006

  38. Detroit Zoo- 1928*

  39. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo- 1989

  40. Houston Zoo- 1930s*

  41. Stone Zoo

  42. Cape May County Zoo

  43. Milwaukee County Zoo- 1961* (Renovation in 2012)
  44. Cincinnati Zoo- 1934*
  45. Abilene Zoo- 2000

  46. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo- 1971*

  47. Gladys Porter Zoo- 1971

  48. Little Rock Zoo

  49. Henson Robinson Zoo (Moon)

  50. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Moon)- 1926

  51. San Antonio Zoo- 1930s
 
Last edited:
Sloth Bear

  1. National Zoo- 2006*

  2. Columbus Zoo- 2006*

  3. Woodland Park Zoo- 2015

  4. Philadelphia Zoo- 1980*

  5. Zoo Miami- 1981*

  6. Idaho Falls Zoo

  7. Lee Richardson Zoo- 1996

  8. Brookfield Zoo- 1934* (Renovation in 1990)

  9. Toledo Zoo- 1997*

  10. San Diego Zoo- 1920s*

  11. Zoo Boise- 2012

  12. Fresno Chaffee Zoo

  13. Sunset Zoo- 1960s

  14. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo- 1969*
Sun Bear

  1. Columbus Zoo- 2006*

  2. Saint Louis Zoo- 2014

  3. Oakland Zoo- 1996

  4. San Diego Zoo- 1989*

  5. El Paso Zoo- 1995

  6. Zoo Atlanta- 2010

  7. Audubon Zoo- 1979*

  8. Honolulu Zoo

  9. Oregon Zoo- 1986

  10. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo- 1989

  11. Pueblo Zoo

  12. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo- 1969*

  13. Gladys Porter Zoo- 1971

  14. Mesker Park Zoo

  15. San Antonio Zoo- 1930s

  16. Miller Park Zoo
Andean

  1. Saint Louis Zoo- 2014

  2. Phoenix Zoo- 1997

  3. Philadelphia Zoo- 1980*

  4. Rosamond Gifford Zoo- 2005
  5. Queens Zoo- 1992*
  6. National Zoo*
  7. Houston Zoo- 2002*

  8. Rolling Hills Zoo- 1999

  9. Salisbury Zoo

  10. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo- 1989

  11. Baton Rouge Zoo- 1971

  12. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo- 1969*

  13. Cincinnati Zoo- 1934*

  14. Tulsa Zoo- 1960s

  15. Gladys Porter Zoo- 1971

  16. Good Zoo

  17. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo- 1926

  18. San Antonio Zoo- 1930s
 
Last edited:
Buffalo Zoo no longer has an Andean bear exhibit. Their last bear died a couple years ago. Where's the National Zoo on your Andean bear list? Also, where's the Virginia Zoo for sun bear?
 
Giant Panda

  1. National Zoo- 2006*

  2. Toronto Zoo- 2013

  3. Zoo Atlanta- 1999*

  4. San Diego Zoo- 1996*

  5. Memphis Zoo- 2003*
Polar Bear

  1. Detroit Zoo- 2001*

  2. Columbus Zoo- 2010*

  3. Assiniboine Park Zoo- 2014

  4. North Carolina Zoo- 2014*

  5. Toronto Zoo- 2009

  6. Hogle Zoo- 2012

  7. Como Park Zoo- 2010

  8. Buffalo Zoo- 2015

  9. Toledo Zoo- 2000*

  10. San Diego Zoo- 1996*

  11. Louisville Zoo- 2011

  12. Henry Vilas Zoo- 2015

  13. Lincoln Park Zoo- 2016

  14. Maryland Zoo- 2003*

  15. Saint Louis Zoo- 2015

  16. Brookfield Zoo- 2010*

  17. Kansas City Zoo- 2010

  18. Memphis Zoo- 2006*

  19. Philadelphia Zoo- 1980*

  20. Point Defiance Zoo- 1981

  21. Pittsburgh Zoo- 2006*

  22. Rio Grande Zoo- 1997

  23. Denver Zoo- 1987

  24. Seneca Park Zoo- 1997

  25. Oregon Zoo- 1986

  26. Cincinnati Zoo- 1936* (Renovation in 2000)

  27. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo- 1989

  28. Bronx Zoo- 1968*

  29. San Francisco Zoo- 1928

  30. Milwaukee County Zoo- 1961*
 
Back
Top