Ranking the Bear Exhibits

[GraysonDP]

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

 

[GraysonDP]

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

 

[blospz]

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?

 

[GraysonDP]

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*

 

[GraysonDP]

* this means I've seen the exhibit