seems like any zoo that has like 5 would be a lot.
But really I have almost no idea
But really I have almost no idea
what zoo exhibits the most species of bear?
- Thread starter Daktari JG
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Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
San Diego has six bear species currently (they are just missing black bears). I believe London and another place in Europe (Antwerp?) once had all of the bear species at the same time in the past. Cleveland had all but pandas until 2013, but they have since phased-out polar and sun bears.
If I recall correctly, @Tim May once said he remembered the time when both Paris (Vincennes I believe) and Berlin both had all eight species of bears.
In South America, however, both the now-closed Vila Isabel zoo and its sucessor, BioParque do Rio, held five species of bears each.
Vila Isabel held American and Asian black, brown, polar and sun bears, while Rio, instead of sun bears, had a lone Indian sloth bear.
I am quite sure Buenos Aires also held the same amount of bear species, if not more.
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There are a couple of recent threads (2020 onwards) which will be of help:
Zoos That Have Had All Species of a Type of Animal
Zoo's with the most species of one genera/animal family ?
In the second one it is said that five species is the most (e.g. Cleveland and San Diego in the USA, and Moscow, Pairi Daiza and Madrid in Europe). Berlin, Vincennes and London all had a full compliment of eight species in quite recent times.
Zoos That Have Had All Species of a Type of Animal
Zoo's with the most species of one genera/animal family ?
In the second one it is said that five species is the most (e.g. Cleveland and San Diego in the USA, and Moscow, Pairi Daiza and Madrid in Europe). Berlin, Vincennes and London all had a full compliment of eight species in quite recent times.
Funningly enough, three to five was basically the number of bear species most large (or important) zoos held back when they were crammed in cages and grottos.
Not one zoo, but I feel like deserves to be mentioned anyway, until pretty recently the two zoos in Berlin had all 8 species between them. On my visit in 2018 they had all barring brown bear (which had been kept quite recently and has been regained by the Zoo).
Since then, they have lost both species of black bear (which I believe were down to singletons on my visit).
Since then, they have lost both species of black bear (which I believe were down to singletons on my visit).
Berlin and Paris (Vincennes) had every species of bear simultaneously during the 1980s.
I think London had every bear species during the 1960s.
Slight correction: Asian black bears were also not displayed at CMZ in the 2010s.