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Animal

The new 'bear pit'

The new 'bear pit' at the river. Only the old house is used by the bears, the outdoor is all new and great.

The new 'bear pit'
Animal, 8 Aug 2010
DelacoursLangur likes this.
    • Animal
      The new \'bear pit\' at the river. Only the old house is used by the bears, the outdoor is all new and great.
    • Arizona Docent
      Is this part of a zoo, or just a bear habitat in the middle of the city?
    • Hix
      The latter. The Berne Bear Pits were famous the world over as concrete pits in the middle of town with several brown bears. I can't remember how old they were, but they were fairly old, I believe. However, by todays standards, they suck, which is why I imagine they constructed some new facilities.

      Berne has a zoo - Dahlholzli - but I don't think it is connected to the Pits in any way.
    • Arizona Docent
      This is really interesting to me. Did other European cities used to do this, or was it just Bern? And if it is not connected to the zoo, then is someone from the city government just assigned to care for the bears?
    • Chlidonias
      they were constructed in 1857, although bears have been kept in the city (in other pits) since 1441

      it was not uncommon through the centuries for bear pits to be a source of amusement in European cities (eg Berlin is another famous one). In the case of Berne I believe the city's emblem is a bear.
    • Toddy
      The city emblem of Bern is indeed a bear and the city itself is named so because legend has it that the founding nobleman caught a bear on the site of the city ("Bern" is also very close to the German word for bear).
    • chizlit
      What would happen if the river floods?
    • Animal
      See the buliding on the upper right side of the picture? That one mostly hidden by trees with the red roof? That is the bear-house. If there were a flood, the bears would not leave the house. And to flood up there it would be a "the day after tomorrow" scenario needed.
    • Animal
      Erm, sorry. Not the red roof. The bearhouse is more in the upper middle. You see the roof, looking like a castle-thingy. Sorry for confusion.
    • chizlit
      Thanks Animal, where ever the house is I'm glad the bears would be safe.
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    BärenPark Bern
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    Animal
    Date:
    8 Aug 2010
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