'Bearly' Changing with the Seasons: Bears of Five Species Show Few Behavioral Changes Across Seasons and at Varying Visitor Densities

Abstract

In natural environments, bear behavior follows seasonal patterns but the zoo environment differs from the natural environment in several ways, including the presence of zoo visitors. Although typically difficult to disentangle, we were able to tease apart the effects of seasonal changes and visitor density on the visibility and behavior of 10 bears representing five species housed at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. We conducted a longitudinal bear behavior monitoring project from June, 2017-November, 2020. Bears were more visible in the spring and in the presence of visitors, locomoted more and were less inactive when large crowds were present, foraged and locomoted more when it was earlier in the day, and locomoted more at higher temperatures. There were limited differences in bear visibility to observers between 2020 (when the zoo was temporarily closed to visitors) and the previous three years. There were no differences in rates of stereotypy or social behavior across seasons, crowds, or daily attendance categories. Based on these limited differences, neither season nor visitor density seemed to have an apparent effect on bear behavior or welfare.

Behavior and Habitat Use Remain Diverse and Variable in Modern Zoological Exhibits over the Long-Term: Case Studies in 5 Species of Ursidae

“…The vast majority of her time was devoted to resting despite the season or year, likely due to her age. One other long-term study of the behavioral changes in multiple bear species [13] did not find statistically significant changes in behavior across seasons. However, they did observe changes in locomotion with temperature, which suggests that it is a more sensitive predictor of behavior than prescribed seasons.…”

“…The degree of exhibit naturalism might also differ across the sites. Seasonal changes in behavior have been documented in other studies of zoo bears [41,42], and seasonal changes in behaviors are well-documented in a number of bear species in the wild (see [7,13] for summaries).…”

“…Much has been written about the behavioral management of zoo bears with regard to the impact of environmental enrichment on behavior [8][9][10][11][12]. We know of only one study that has evaluated the changes in zoo bear behavior for periods greater than one year: Bernstein-Kurtycz et al [13] observed several bear species over a three-year period and found that most behaviors did not change across seasons and years, although some behaviors did change with respect to the ambient temperature.…”

Behavioral Changes of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) during COVID-19 Zoo Closures and Further Reopening to the Public

“…This ability makes this group important for studies on the impact of the visitor effect on their behavior. The response of bears to the presence of zoo visitors is mixed [16]. For example, visitors can act as both a disturbance factor that increases bears' vigilance and stereotypical behavior, or as a stimulus to encourage normal activity such as exploratory behavior [6,17].…”

“…However, there is only one published study on how bears behave during the prolonged absence of visitors, and it was during the global pandemic in 2020. A study at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo showed that the behavior of five bear species ("sloth bears (n = 3), Andean bears (n = 2), grizzly bears (n = 2), American black bears (n = 2), and a Malayan sun bear (n = 1)", p. 541) did not change during the zoo closure of two months [16]. However, studies that include more individuals of one species and involve several institutions could shed light on general changes in bears' behavior without visitors.…”