Famous Bear Mountain - Denver Zoo

May, 2006. Asian black bear and cubs in the grotto.

Do you know what zoo the cubs went to?

No idea, but that made me think of something else. The 8 bear species vary throughout North American zoos in terms of how common they are, as well as in zoos across the world. For example in Australia they basically only have sun bears in the entire country, with a handful of brown bears and with one zoo that has polar bears. For me the Asiatic Black Bear is the rarest bear! I've been to a heck of a lot of zoos and the only time in my life where I've seen this bear species is at the Denver Zoo. I've seen 4 zoos with giant pandas and only 1 with asiatic black bears.

Well, I just saw in ISIS that 12 North American Zoos have them.

http://app.isis.org/abstracts/abs.asp

It's funny that all of the many zoos that I've been to haven't had them...except for Denver. It's cool that there are more zoos that have this bear in their collection.

Asian Black Bears are actually being phased out in American zoos. So enjoy them while they are still around.

Philadelphia had a "moon bear" when I visited back in 03.

The situation is similar in Europe; there are several institutions that keep one or two elderly specimens and will phase out the husbandry once the "retirees" are dead, and only a few zoos breeding them or acquiring new ones.

A few decades ago, the species was comparatively more common in most zoos.

I wonder why no zoos want to take on some rescued bile farm bears. It would make some good publicity that the zoo is rescuing animals that are suffering and giving them a better life.

Probably because of all the red tape and politics involved.