Born Free, a wildlife conservation charity, has released a new report calling for a ban on keeping polar bears in captivity.
The new study, titled ‘Born to Roam: The Suffering of Polar Bears in Zoos’, calls on the UK and European governments to phase out the keeping of polar bears in zoos
The report says polar bears in zoos “experience a high level of stress-related fatalities, high infant mortality rates, high risk of captivity-induced diseases, and shortened lifespans”.
There are 12 polar bears at zoos in the UK – eight at Yorkshire Wildlife Park and four at Highland Wildlife Park.
Additionally, Born Free says the greenhouse gas emissions created by keeping these animals in captivity is potentially adding to the climate crisis.
“In summary, removing polar bears from the wild both diminishes their ecosystem’s ability to provide services to the biosphere whilst adding to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions,” the report says.
“Animal welfare aside, this begs the question as to whether zoos are doing more harm than good to the ecology of the planet.”
Will Travers, Born Free’s executive president, said the study’s conclusion is “both damning and stark: it is time to humanely bring this tragedy to an end”.
Polar bears, he added, “cannot endure a life in zoos and we must… protect the species in the wild and tackle the many threats it faces, including anthropocentric climate change that, ultimately, could be the downfall of all life on earth”.
David Field, chief executive officer of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Highland Wildlife Park, told the Independent: “Evidence from animal care specialists and welfare scientists fed into the design of our charity’s polar bear habitats.”
“Humanely bring this tragedy to an end”
The wildlife park’s polar bears “benefit hugely from the complex and stimulating natural environment of the Cairngorms National Park” and receive an “excellent standard of care from an expert team”, he added.
“Visitors can clearly see the wide range of spaces our polar bears have access to including large ponds, natural vegetation and soft areas, with very little concrete and no energy required for climate control in the Scottish Highlands,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “We do not have any plans to ban the keeping of polar bears across the zoo sector.”
Last year, Born Free called for a ban on keeping elephants in captivity. Paignton Zoo in Devon has confirmed that it will no longer keep elephants, and Belfast Zoo is phasing them out.
Images: Born Free
