Environmental Parameters as Indicators of Bear Welfare

Bears are commonly displayed in zoos worldwide. Historically, bears have been housed in poor conditions and even now can be found in inhumane bear pits despite an increased knowledge of animal welfare and husbandry practices. In many developing countries, regular and comprehensive welfare assessments are rarely conducted, especially if not required or enforced by regulatory bodies. A majority of zoos in these countries are also not members of zoo associations. To this end, we focused on evaluating bear exhibits in Thailand, a country with numerous zoos, weak regulations and enforcement pertaining to captive wildlife. We developed a simple assessment of front-of-house conditions using environmental parameters to evaluate whether zoos are providing appropriate enclosures as an indicator of welfare potential. We found 77 bears of four species on display in 37 exhibits in 17 zoos (6 accredited, 6 government and 5 private). Our results suggest that more than half of bears displayed in Thai zoos experience poor welfare in exhibits that do not meet basic standards. Overall, 49% of the 37 exhibits were below minimum size, with 54% having no vegetation and 62% having no enrichment. Accredited zoos had significantly better exhibits than government and private zoos. Our research highlights the need for the implementation of zoo standards, in addition to strengthened regulatory measures and enforcement regulating the care of captive wildlife in Thailand.