What Are Best Bear Exibits in the USA

WLV30SAS

WLV30SAS

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Hello everyone,

I have started helping a fellow student with her graduate research on Black Bears, and this has led me to ask everyone a simple question:

What are the best Bear Exibits in the US??? I am planning my secound zoo road trip this summer and would like some input for the greatest Bear exibits. It does not matter what species is mentioned and where the Zoo is located. If I could get any input i would be very greatful. At this time the greatest Bear Exibit I have seen is the Brown Bear Exibit in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo,
 
The Grizzly Bear exhibit at the Bronx Zoo is really nice although their Polar Bear exhibit sucks. The Grizzly exhibit is a large "bear-pit" type thing but is very large and pretty well vegetated and has a little stream for them to swim in. There's also a higher area where they can climb up this huge fake rock and tower over people. It really is cool to see them up there and I think if they go farther back they can escape the Human eyes.

I never saw the Andean Bear one but the Smithsonian National Zoo has some nice Giant Panda and Sloth Bear exhibits. The panda exhibit has some nice climbing opportunities with the trees in there. Since the pandas were inside I didn't make an effort to go check it out so much so my description may be a bit vague. I believe there was a stream in there and I do know that there are two panda exhibits so the two may be separated. There are like three separate Sloth Bear exhibits all back to back. They are all pretty large in size and they are all hilly. I know that one has a rock formation with a small waterfall on it but they are pretty much just large, well vegetated hills that the Sloth Bears seem to have plenty of room on as they are much smaller than I once thought. By the way, according to what they zoo reported to ISIS in May 2011, the zoo has the Sri Lankan subspecies, M. u. inornatus.

~Thylo:cool:
 
ThylacineAlive said:
The Grizzly Bear exhibit at the Bronx Zoo is really nice although their Polar Bear exhibit sucks. The Grizzly exhibit is a large "bear-pit" type thing but is very large and pretty well vegetated and has a little stream for them to swim in. There's also a higher area where they can climb up this huge fake rock and tower over people. It really is cool to see them up there and I think if they go farther back they can escape the Human eyes.

I never saw the Andean Bear one but the Smithsonian National Zoo has some nice Giant Panda and Sloth Bear exhibits. The panda exhibit has some nice climbing opportunities with the trees in there. Since the pandas were inside I didn't make an effort to go check it out so much so my description may be a bit vague. I believe there was a stream in there and I do know that there are two panda exhibits so the two may be separated. There are like three separate Sloth Bear exhibits all back to back. They are all pretty large in size and they are all hilly. I know that one has a rock formation with a small waterfall on it but they are pretty much just large, well vegetated hills that the Sloth Bears seem to have plenty of room on as they are much smaller than I once thought. By the way, according to what they zoo reported to ISIS in May 2011, the zoo has the Sri Lankan subspecies, M. u. inornatus.

~Thylo:cool:
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The Bronx Zoo's grizzly exhibit is built on a natural rock outcropping--not a giant "fake rock." Historically, the same rock ridge formed the backdrop to a series of smaller metal bar-enclosed bear cages. The removal of the concrete slab floor and the addition of planting areas has greatly improved what was always a large and impressive brown bear exhibit (in contrast to the very substandard polar bear exhibit down the hill that was built at the same time--1968).
 
The Brown Bear exhibit at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Best for the Bears by far, and best for viewing when the Bears are in view. A couple acres of authentic habitat, in the current geographic range of the species. The exhibit is frequently visited by Magpies, Ravens, Gulls, and Bald Eagles. The Bears share the exhibit with a pair of Coyotes.
 
reduakari said:
The Bronx Zoo's grizzly exhibit is built on a natural rock outcropping--not a giant "fake rock." Historically, the same rock ridge formed the backdrop to a series of smaller metal bar-enclosed bear cages. The removal of the concrete slab floor and the addition of planting areas has greatly improved what was always a large and impressive brown bear exhibit (in contrast to the very substandard polar bear exhibit down the hill that was built at the same time--1968).
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I've never realized that that is a real rock. The rounded face of it looks man-made (of course they just could have shaped it when the exhibit was built). Whether the rock is real or not it looks fantastic and I'm sure the bears live a happy life in that exhibit. I just feel bad for Tundra the Polar Bear...:(

~Thylo:cool:
 
Minnesota Zoo has excellent exhibits for two species of bears, Brown and American Black, as Zooplantman said.
Detroit Zoo has Arctic Ring of Life, which includes what is considered by many as the best Polar Bear exhibit in America.
Naples Zoo has an interesting exhibit for American Black Bears, where one habitat resembles the black bear's native habitat, and the second habitat resembles a suburban backyard.
Columbus Zoo has a great Polar Bear exhibit and what seems to be a pretty good Brown Bear exhibit.
 
The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana has a great exhibit. I think it's fun to look at all of the "bear-proof" containers outside the enclosure that didn't make the grade. They test those containers on the bears.
 
My two-cents...
I agree with some of the comments above:
The Arctic Ring of Life at the Detroit Zoo might be the best polar bear exhibit I've visited. Four acres, different terrains/substrates, with underwater acrylic-tube viewing. The day we visited, the bears were super-playful in the water, with shards of sun penetrating the crystal clear pool - from the tube, it was a truly amazing spectacle. Also of note, the zoo historian in me adores the park's spacious and picturesque original bear grottoes, designed by international zoo-pioneer Carl Hagenbeck, himself.
The Columbus Zoo has a nice, newer polar bear exhibit, with a very nice adjoining grizzly bear enclosure. The grizzlies also have underwater viewing, where we've watched them fish, and visitors can get close to the park's beheamoth specimens with sheltered glass wall viewing.
I also concur the National Zoo's giant panda exhibit and Andean bear enclosure are also noteworthy.
 
wyldjaguar said:
My two-cents...
I agree with some of the comments above:
The Arctic Ring of Life at the Detroit Zoo might be the best polar bear exhibit I've visited. Four acres, different terrains/substrates, with underwater acrylic-tube viewing. The day we visited, the bears were super-playful in the water, with shards of sun penetrating the crystal clear pool - from the tube, it was a truly amazing spectacle. Also of note, the zoo historian in me adores the park's spacious and picturesque original bear grottoes, designed by international zoo-pioneer Carl Hagenbeck, himself.
The Columbus Zoo has a nice, newer polar bear exhibit, with a very nice adjoining grizzly bear enclosure. The grizzlies also have underwater viewing, where we've watched them fish, and visitors can get close to the park's beheamoth specimens with sheltered glass wall viewing.
I also concur the National Zoo's giant panda exhibit and Andean bear enclosure are also noteworthy.
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What's the Andean Bear exhibit like? On my visit it was closed for construction on American Trails.

~Thylo:cool:
 
Excellent topic! Here is my two cents - the facilities that have an asterisk in front are exhibits that I have NOT seen in person (opinion based on ZooChat or other sources).

*Detroit Zoo - polar bear
*Grizzly/Wolf Discovery center - brown bear
*Minnesota Zoo - brown bear
Philadelphia Zoo - andean bear,asian black bear,sloth bear,polar bear (all adjacent to each other)
*Oakland Zoo - sun bear
Phoenix Zoo - andean bear (very large)
Reid Park Zoo - andean bear (small, but wildflowers in late spring and swimming bears in summer)
*Columbus Zoo - polar bear,sun bear
*Bearizona - american black bear (drive thru)
*British Columbia Wildlife Park - spirit bear (aka white black bear - only one in captivity)
*Memphis Zoo - brown bear (also average exhibits for black and polar, which I have seen there)
Rio Grande Zoo - polar bear (which gets rated solely for their daily feeding demonstration with diving polar bears - see my photo in the gallery)
 
A few photos for illustrative purposes :)

(I sized it a bit larger than I usually do so you should be able to click on it and get a good view)
 

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Thank you everyone for their views. All these will be accounted for when I make my final decision on where to go this summer. The best bear exhibits I have seen so far are:
the Alemeda Park Zoo Black Bear Exhibit in Alamagordo NM, most of the reason for this is the exhibit was very green, and the black bears where very healthy and lively (compared to other zoos in the state).
Out of the Polar Bears the exhibit I have enjoyed the most is the Rio Grande Zoo exhibit, also for the feeding experience, and for how lively they always are.
The best Bear exhibit I have seen is by far the one Grizzly Bear exhibit at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Its large, the animals were active, its very green, there are multiple viewing points, live fish for the bears to hunt for, and plenty of shade. It was simply amazing.
My favorite bear is the Andean, but have yet to see a decent exhibit for one (hopefully will the National Zoo's).
Have also seen below average exhibits for Asiatic Black bears and sun bears.
I would just think with the whole, "Lions and Tigers and Bears O MY!!", that bears would be displayed greater then what they are.
 
If your favorite is andean or spectacled bear, you may want to drive out here to Arizona to see Phoenix Zoo's cub once it goes on exhibit. I am not sure when that will be, but I assume pretty soon. We have had two spectacled bear cubs at Reid Park Zoo and they are really, really cute. Of course if you plan your trip later, perhaps in the fall, we should have our new grizzly bear at Reid Park Zoo. That will give us three species, although our elderly sun bear is never out (but I could probably arrange for you to at least see it in the night house). If you come in mid or late May, you could probably see spectacled bears in the pink flowers here (see the photo I posted earlier on this thread). If you come in the early summer (June), you could see bears and other animals at night which is lots of fun. Friday night (open late) at Reid Park Zoo then Saturday night (open late) at Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Phoenix Zoo also does a late night Saturday, but only once per month (June, July, August).
 
Well he could still see some Andean Bear cubs at National. In fact, he could be seeing two. Not trying to outdo you and be all like, "hey, come to this zoo instead cause they have two Andean Bear cubs in an exhibit you know is nice and you want to see," but I'm just saying. And if he came to National he could also see the new Indian Sloth Bear cub and the Giant Pandas.

~Thylo:cool:
 
If you can't make it out to Oakland's Zoo, stop by the site and check out their sun bear cam at least. While I've never seen a bear after dark, it's the only cam I've come across that's on twenty-four hours a day.

On side note: There's an awesome eucalyptus tree in the enclosure that's well over a hundred feet tall. My first day there, the oldest of the bears had shimmied her way to well over fifty feet. I still wonder how she got down.
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Well he could still see some Andean Bear cubs at National. In fact, he could be seeing two. Not trying to outdo you and be all like, "hey, come to this zoo instead cause they have two Andean Bear cubs in an exhibit you know is nice and you want to see," but I'm just saying. And if he came to National he could also see the new Indian Sloth Bear cub and the Giant Pandas.

~Thylo:cool:
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Yes, but Arizona is a lot closer to New Mexico than the District of Columbia :p
 
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