THE AMERICAN BEAR ASSOCIATION

      ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES FOR BEARS IN ENCLOSURES

Bears are extremely intelligent and timid animals. They are “nomadic” by nature. They must travel extensively to forage on seasonal foods available throughout their expansive home range. It has been well documented that wild bears can roam more than 100 miles in search of food, a mate, and shelter. These behavioral characteristics supported by strong instinctual drives and powerful strength result in a highly complex animal that commands our respect and appreciation. Thus, maintaining bears in enclosures or as “pets” is not recommended as it can have serious consequences on their emotional and physical health as well as result in a possible threat to the safety of the caregiver. Bears are typically not aggressive in nature, but instead, they are very shy and defensive. Stress can transform any seemingly docile bear into a highly reactive animal that can be potentially dangerous. Unfortunately, good-intentioned people will often opt to purchase a “cute” bear cub as a pet only to confront difficulties, later, managing the rapidly growing bruin. Due to no fault of its own, the “offending” bear is often vilified and punished when it naturally reacts to the stress or threat that looms in its artificial and restricted environment. Such unfortunate circumstances perpetuate the public’s misconception of bears as aggressive and vicious predators thus leading to the needless deaths of many innocent bears.

Obviously, there are occasions when bears may be humanely contained for educational or rehabilitation reasons. (Hopefully, bears on exhibit for teaching purposes are only those with histories or injuries which deem them nonreleaseable). Great thought and effort must be given to ensure the confined bear’s life is as stress-free and gratifying as possible. It is important to become educated about the bear’s natural history, behavior, and needs. Acquiring good observational skills and learning the captive bear’s individual personality traits can help the handler to anticipate behaviors and detect when something is wrong.

Given the circumstances of confinement, developing an effective program of enrichment activities is extremely important and can facilitate improved general health for the bear. Creating situations where the animal can exert some control over its environment can reduce the harmful effects of stress. Primary consideration must be given to allowing adequate space in the enclosure for the bear to “escape” from perceived danger, move about freely, and to provide opportunities to explore its environment.

Including native vegetation and groundcover in the design is especially important to simulate a healthy natural habitat. When considering ways to develop a stimulating environment for bears in captivity keep in mind that they essentially “lead their lives by their noses”. It has been cited that a bear's sense of smell is 12 times more powerful than that of a human. They use this keen sense to find food - the "center of their universe", locate a mate, as well as to detect danger. Hiding snacks and providing tasks with aromatic qualities can lead to natural foraging behavior and result in a more stimulating environment. Bears are also very resourceful and curious. They can become quickly “bored” and thus require some ingenuity on the caregiver’s part to keep them interested and intellectually challenged.

An important consideration to note is that bears frighten very easily and are naturally shy. Thus they must have areas that provide security, quiet, and privacy. Startling a bear can elicit an immediate reactive response that forces a bear to defend itself against a perceived threat. Such circumstances can sometimes lead to a potentially dangerous situation. Bears often "socialize" when they do not feel threatened or when they want to play.

Keep these various characteristics in mind when designing a suitable habitat and devising an enrichment program for captive bears. Although not always possible, try to mimic as natural a situation as possible. Some enrichment activities might include the following:

1- Instead of placing food in bowls and presenting it in full view of the bear, try hiding some of it around the yard, in logs, in hollows of trees, skewered on branches, in crevices, under rocks, buried, etc. Not only will this help occupy the bear's time constructively but it can facilitate natural foraging behavior. Some easy to cache and hide items include dry dog food (large chunk style), nuts in shells, dried fruits, dog biscuits topped with peanut butter, seeded head of a sunflower, etc.

2- Submerge fresh or canned fish, peanuts, ripened fruits, various nuts & seeds, raisins etc. in a large plastic container filled with water, then freeze. May want to freeze goodies at different levels to distribute them throughout the container. Remove frozen chunk from container. Introduce this “Arctic delight" to the bear in a pool, on the ground or place it on a platform and watch him/her claw and chew his way through the ice to retrieve the tasty treats inside.

3- Provide a large mound of sawdust acquired from any aromatic wood source in the enclosure for bears to roll in, climb, or rub. It's also helpful to freshen it daily with a pitchfork to redistribute the shavings into a pile. Replace the mound with fresh and possibly different material every few weeks. Using aromatic cedar or pine shavings works very well. The bears seem to like the texture, the fragrance, and these coniferous materials commonly have some bug deterrent qualities. You may also want to try fine sand or charcoal ashes. Always keep in mind that sometimes these materials may cause respiratory complications so watch for symptoms and remove if a problem.     

4- Add a naturally barked scratching/rubbing post to the enclosure. Bears regularly designate their territory by scratching, biting, or rubbing on special marking trees. These trees tend to be rough textured like pine, cedar, hemlock, oak etc. The tree post needs to be well secured into the ground because bears can exert great amounts of force as they are marking it. Sometimes you can elicit the behavior by placing various scents on the bark. Try various animal scents such as that of another bear, deer, beaver, or feline urine. Also experiment with herbal scents and flavorings (dry, liquid, or fresh) such as anise, butterscotch, peppermint, ginger, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, maple, pecan, almond, vanilla, apple, and nutmeg.

5- Smear chunky peanut butter, fruity jams or honey along sides of a tree or any other target area to facilitate exploration, climbing, and stretching activities.

6- Bears love to lounge and play in water, especially on hot days. It helps them to stay cool and avoid pesky bugs. Hang vines or branches overhead for them to reach for and investigate while sitting. Lay some smooth rocks on bottom of pool and have some "floatables" (such as dried gourds, bobbing fruits etc) for added stimulation. Having deeper water will facilitate swimming activities.

7- Bears naturally like to climb and sit at high vantage points to rest or look out for potential danger. Include trees with sturdy limbs and boulders in enclosure for bears to safely climb. If you don't have a tree or boulder available, try fabricating a raised platform from strong, rough-textured logs (preferably with bark intact) and camouflage it with natural foliage. Make sure the bear has a clear way to climb up onto the platform. They often like these "decks" near cover such as trees or bushes versus right out in the open since trees and vegetative screens give them a sense of security. You can encourage them to climb up to the deck by placing some treats on top of the platform. If the bear is too heavy, weak, or old to climb up a vertical surface then provide a "helper" by placing some wide, roughly textured logs which are at an easy incline for them to gain ready access to the "deck".

8- Place fresh conifers (especially cedar) with "greens" intact near scratching post, sawdust pile, pool, or platform. Bears seem to be attracted to the smell and often like to play or rub their heads on the aromatic boughs. You may want to drill some holes, higher up on the scratching post, and insert evergreen branches so bears have to stretch for them. They may even bite on them during marking rituals.

9- Bears are very curious and like to check out anything "new" in their environment, especially if it has a bouncy spring to it or some other dynamic qualities. Try adding some "curios" to the habitat such as planting a few 3 to 4 foot pine saplings for them to play with, push, and bend. A wide mossy log can be placed in the pen for the bear to roll, climb, investigate, and tear the bark off. Another idea is to suspend some items from trees such as gourds, pine cones covered with  peanut butter, honey and seeds, tree limbs etc. Some unnatural items which can be equally effective might include durable canvas bags filled with edible or fragrant goodies, large sturdy balls and tires hanging from overhead poles or trees. You may want to place these out of public view if you are concerned with maintaining a “natural look”.

10- Plant vegetation that bears like to forage on somewhere inside the enclosure such as fruit-bearing vines (ex. grapes), jewelweed, dandelions, oats, grass, and ESPECIALLY CLOVER!! Bears love to graze on succulent, tender shoots of young grasses and seek out fresh clover for an extra special treat.

11- A large rotten, mossy log can entertain a bear for hours as he tears it apart looking for worms and various insects to eat. You can also drill holes into the log and stash some treats for the bear to find.

12- Place a honeycomb in a tree or log hollow for the bear to retrieve the cherished rewards of larvae and honey.

13- Bears need places to hide so provide them "mock" caves or hollows to conceal themselves when they do not feel like being "sociable", being on exhibit or feel threatened. Providing private places is extremely important to reduce stress! In addition, bears require plenty of fresh cold water and shelter from hot temperatures as their thick dark coats can heat up to 185 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun.

Caution: Remember that chocolate and moldy nuts, especially peanuts, can be lethal to bears and other animals. Avoid all spoiled foods and those that contain mold or mildew.

Some appropriate treats/foods to consider in activities include the following:

FRUITS/SOFT MAST:

Cane, vine, and bush fruits such as watermelon, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries, grapes, high bush cranberries, strawberries, etc.  Tree fruits like apples, plums, pears, cherries, mountain ash berries, persimmons etc.  Raisins and other dried fruits

NUTS/HARD MAST:

Acorns (especially from white oaks), hickory nuts, walnuts, beechnuts, hazelnuts (a favorite choice), chestnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans etc. Providing nuts while still in their shells gives the bear more of a challenge!

TO REPEAT: Nuts tend to mold or mildew easily so watch for this and do not give to the animal.

MISCELLANEOUS FOODS:

Frozen fruit juices

Honeycomb

Peanut butter

Jams and Jellies

Fruity syrups

Insect larvae and hives (inactive)

Vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, corn on the cob, and lettuce

Fruits like melons (whole), apples, plums, strawberries, cantaloupes, cherries, grapes etc.

Black oil sunflower seeds, soy nuts, oats

Fruity gelatin filled with nuts, seeds, and fruits

Granola cereal mixed with honey or jam

Chunky dry dog food

*Avoid spicy and highly seasoned foods. Keep sweets to a minimum.

Like humans, each bear may have a different personality, reaction to stimuli, and preference in food so experiment with various treats and activities. Providing adequate space, a wide array of foods, opportunities for privacy/security, and environmental stimulation are the keys to a healthier and "better-adjusted" bear in confinement. Also keep in mind that bears in captivity can live 30 years or more thus requiring a long-term commitment from the caretaker. Use compassion and respect, take responsibility, and be creative.

We hope that you find the guidelines helpful. We have offered this information so that any individual who is determined to maintain a wild animal in captivity, in spite of the warnings, can provide as sound and fulfilling an environment as possible. However, we want to be sure to reiterate that healthy wild animals should never be confined and raised as pets. Depriving these creatures of their freedom and natural drives (whether born into captivity or in the wild) can result in grave consequences for both the animals and their caregivers. We sincerely appreciate your giving this serious situation considerable thought. Thank you.
For more information, please contact
The American Bear Association,
PO Box 77, Orr, MN 55771 or
 check our website at http://www.americanbear.org