Click on the buttons below (or scroll down the page) and then on the names of individual zoos and bears for detailed information (where available).
This directory lists 152 zoos, aquariums and parks (including one circus) known or believed to be keeping polar bears at present, to be planning to do so or to have done so in the recent past. So far 42 of these have individual entries linked from the directory. While some of these pages are still under construction, a number already have detailed reviews of their facilities and husbandry.
We have listed 317 captive polar bears; in all likelihood there are others we are not yet aware of. However, it is certain that some of the bears listed in China are brown bear / polar bear hybrids. To date 70 of the bears have detailed biographical entries (follow the links from the directory). More are being added every week.
To read more on the basic welfare requirements for captive polar bears click here.
Canada
- Aquarium du Quebec, Quebec
- The facility is closed for enlargement and modernisation. Due to reopen December 2019.
- Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien, Saint-Félicien, Quebec
- Aisaqvak (female)
- Milak (female)
- Kinuk (male)
- Shouka (male)
- Yellé (male)
China
- Beijing Zoo
- AnAn (female)
- MiMi (female)
- Ji (male)
- LeLe (male)
- PingPing (male)
- Samson (male)
- Possible fifth male – name not known
- Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Zhuhai (use this link to view the limited data we so far have on the bears here)
- Unknown male/female
- Unknown male/female
- Unknown male/female
- Dalian Forest Zoo, Dalian, Liaoning
- Hakuho (female)
- Magnum (male)
- White Dragon (male)
- Haichang Ocean Parks (Haichang tend to move animals between their sites; bears may be found at sites other than as listed.)
- Chengdu Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- TaoTao (male; probable hybrid polar / brown bear)
- Chengdu Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- Qingdao Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- Yang Yang (female)
- Unknown (male)
- Qingdao Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- Unknown (female)
- Pizza (male)
- Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- Tiger Beach (Laohutan) Ocean Park, Dalian
- Nina (female)
- Vicky (female)
- Phineas (male)
- Unknown (male)
- Tiger Beach (Laohutan) Ocean Park, Dalian
- Wuhan Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- Le Le (female) (hybrid)
- Jing Jing (male) (hybrid)
- Wuhan Haichang Polar Ocean Park
- Hangzhou Polar Ocean Park
- Babe (female; probable hybrid polar / brown bear)
- Nanjing Underwater World
- Terminator (aka Promitey) (male)
- Bei Bei (aka Kazja) (male)
- Xiao Bai (male)
- Ocean Aquarium of Penglai
- Peng Peng (female)
- Yilina (female)
- Yuan Yuan (female)
- Royce (male)
- Qingdao Jiangshan Wildlife Kingdom
- Rostick (male)
- Qujiang Polar Ocean World, Xi’an
- Eska (female)
- Sesi (female)
- Shenzhen Xiaomeisha Sea World
- Pezoo (male)
- Sun Asia Ocean Polar World, Shahekou District, Dalian
- Unknown (male)
- Unknown (female)
- Underwater World, Nantong
- Obama (male)
- Wuxi Ocean Park
- No bears reported to date; believed to be still under construction
- Xiangjiang Safari Park, Guangzhou
- Danya (female)
- Cukla (female)
- Snowflake (female)
- Ike (male)
- Nord (male)
Czech Republic
- Brno Zoo
- Cora (female)
- Nora (female)
- Umka (male)
- Prague Zoo
- Berta (female)
- Tom (male)
Denmark
- Aalborg Zoo
- Malik (female)
- Nuku (female)
- Quilak (female)
- Nord (male)
- Scandinavian Wildlife Park, Kolind
- Ika (female)
- Nuno (female)
- Ivan (male)
- Siku (male)
- Nanook (male)
- Nuuk (male)
France
- Amnéville Zoo
- Tromso (male)
- Antibes Marineland
- Flocke (female)
- Unnamed cub (sex not yet known)
- Unnamed cub (sex not yet known)
- Unnamed cub (sex not yet known)
- De Cerza Zoo, Hernival-les-Vauz
- Simone (female)
- Nicky (female)
- La Flèche Zoo
- Taiko (male)
- Mulhouse Zoo
- Sesi (female)
- Tina (female)
- Vicks (male)
- Palmyre Zoo, Les Matthes
- Lale (female)
- Noordje (female)
- Parc Zoo du Reynou, Le Vigen
- Nanu (male)
- Todz (male)
- Peaugres Safari Park
- Hallensia (female)
- Jonny (male)
Germany
- Berlin Zoo
- Katyusha (female)
- Bremerhaven Zoo
- Valeska (female)
- Lloyd (male)
- Hagenbeck Zoo, Hamburg
- Victoria (female)
- Blizzard (male)
- Hannover
- Charlotte (female)
- Milana (female)
- Sprinter (male)
- Hellabrunn Zoo, Munchen
- Giovanna (female)
- Quintana (female)
- Karlsruhe
- Nika (female)
- Cape (male)
- Neumunster Zoo
- Larissa (female)
- Vitus (male)
- Nuremberg Zoo
- Vera (female)
- Nanuq (male)
- Rostock Zoo
- Noria (female)
- Sizzel (female)
- Akiak (male)
- Tierpark Friedrichfelde, Berlin
- Tonja (female)
- Hertha (female)
- Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart
- No polar bears since the death of Corinna (female) in July 2018 but the Zoo has plans to keep them in the future
- Wuppertal Zoo
- Anori (female)
- Luka (male)
- ZOOM Erlebniswelt, Gelsenkirchen
- Antonia (female)
- Lara (female)
- Nanook (female)
- Bill (male)
Hungary
- Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden
- Belij (male)
- Serij (male)
- Sóstó Zoo (aka Nyíregyháza Zoo)
- Sznezsana (female)
- Zora (female)
- Fiete (male)
Japan
- Adventure World, Shirhama, Wakayama
- Ohoto (female)
- Unknown name (male)
- Cuddly Dominion, Aso, Kumamoto (formerly Aso Bear Park)
- Since the death of Kaachan (female) in February 2016 polar bears have not been kept here
- Hamamitsu Zoo
- Baffin (female)
- Momo (female)
- Higajhiyama Zoo, Nagoya
- Sasquat (male)
- Himeji City Zoo
- Hokuto (male)
- Hirakawa Zoo
- Kana (female)
- Kobe Oji Zoo
- Miyuki (female)
- Kumamoto Zoo
- Maruru (female)
- Kushiroshi Zoo
- Milk (female)
- Kiroru (male)
- Obihiro Zoo
- Aira (female)
- Oga Aquarium
- Yuki (female)
- Goto (male)
- Sapporo Marayama Zoo, Hokkaidō
- Candy (female)
- Lara (female)
- Lira (female)
- Denali (male)
- Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo
- Vania (female)
- Rossy (male)
- Tennoji Zoo, Osaka
- Shilka (female)
- Gogo (male)
- Tobe Zoo
- Peace (female)
- Tokushina Zoo
- Pororo (female)
- Tokuyama Zoo, Shunan
- No polar bears here since the death of Yuki (female) in November 2016
- Toyohushi Zoo
- Cookie (female)
- Ueno Zoo
- Dea (female)
- Ikoro (male)
- Yagiyama Zoo
- Paula (female)
- Winnie (female)
- Kai (male)
- Yokohama Sea Paradise
- Yukihime (female)
- Yukimaru (male)
- Zoorasia, Yokohama
- Ballyba (female)
- Tsuyoshi (female)
- Jambui (male)
Mexico
- Benito Juárez Zoological Park, Morelia
- No polar bears since death of Yupik (male) in Novmeber 2018
- Guadalajara Zoo
- Agarta (female)
Netherlands
- Diergaardo Blijdorp (aka Rotterdam Zoo)
- Olinka (female)
- Volodya (male)
- Dierenrijk Zoo, Nuenen
- Elva (female)
- Frimas (female)
- Nivi (female)
- Henk (male)
- Friesland Aquazoo, Leeuwarden
- Felix (male)
- Ouwehands Zoo, Rhenen
- Freedom (female)
- Huggies (female)
- Sura (female)
- Wildlands Adventure Zoo, Emmen
- Lili (female)
- Nela (female)
Russia
- Bolsherechye Zoo, Omsk Oblast
- Gulya (female)
- Chelyabinsk Zoo
- Irisha (female)
- Atin (male)
- Denisenko Khokhlov Polar Bear Circus Show, Russia
- Dora (female)
- Knop (female)
- Motya (female)
- Umka (female)
- Ekaterinburg Zoo
- Anina (female)
- Umka (male)
- Gelendzhik Safari Park
- Lapa (female)
- Sereshki (female)
- Snezhinka (female)
- Sedov (male)
- Kazan Zoo
- Maleishka (female)
- Terpey (male)
- Khabarovsk Zoo
- Chabar (male)
- Leningradsky Zoopark, Saint Petersburg
- Uslada (female)
- Limpopo Zoo, Nizhny Novgorod
- Simona (female)
- Moscow Zoo
- Murma (female)
- Vrangel (male)
- Moscow Zoo Breeding Centre, Sychovo, near Volokolamsk
- Nika (female)
- Nalchik Zoo
- Kutsii (female) (we believe this bear may have died)
- Novosibirsk Zoo
- Gerda (female)
- Shauna (female)
- Krassin (aka Kai) (male)
- Nordi (male)
- Penza Zoo
- Bely (female)
- Perm Zoo
- Yumki (female)
- Seriku (male)
- Royev Ruchei Zoo, Krasnoyarsk
- Aurora (female)
- Ursula (female)
- Martha (female)
- Felix (male)
- Rostov Zoo
- Kometa (female)
- Aion (male)
- Seversk Zoo Park
- UD (male)
- Udmurtia State Zoological Park, Izhevsk
- Dumka (female)
- Purga (female)
- Zabava (female)
- Balou (male)
- Yakutsk Zoo
- Kolymana (female)
- Khaartschaana (female)
- Lomonosov (male)
Singapore
- Singapore Zoo
- Inuka (male) died in April 2018 and the Zoo has announced that it will bring no more polar bears to Singapore
South Korea
- Everland, Yongin
- Following the death of Tongki (male) in October 2018 it has been announced that there are no plans to import further polar bears into South Korea
Tajikistan
- Dushanbe Zoo
- There were reports that there was a polar bear here but to date we can find no record of such a bear.
Thailand
- Safari World, Bangkok
- Udi (female)
- Igor (male)
Ukraine
- Kharkov Zoo, Kharkiv
- Tim (male)
- Mykolaiv (Nikolaev) Zoo
- Smetanka (female)
- Zefirka (female)
- Nanuk (male)
United States of America
- ABQ Bio Park Zoo, Albuquerque, New Mexico (aka Rio Grande Zoo)
- Kiska (male)
- Koluk (male)
- Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, Illinois
- Nanuyaak (female)
- Hudson (male)
- Buffalo Zoo, Buffalo, New York
- Luna (female)
- Sakari (male)
- Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio
- Anana (female)
- Little One (male)
- Columbus Zoological Gardens, Powell, Ohio
- Anana (female)
- Aurora (female)
- Lee (male)
- Unamed cub (male) born 28 November, 2019 (mother: Aurora, father: Lee)
- Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Buzz (male)
- Neal (male)
- Denver Zoological Gardens, Colorado
- In October 2018 the exhibit was closed to be refurbished to house the zoo’s two grizzly bears. The zoo hopes to fund-raise to build a new polar bear exhibit.
- Detroit Zoo, Michigan
- Suka (female)
- Nuka (male)
- Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison, Wisconsin
- Berit (female)
- Nuniq (male)
- Kansas City Zoo, Kansas
- Berlin (female)
- Louisville Zoo, Kentucky
- Qannik (female)
- Maryland Zoo, Baltimore
- Amelia Gray (female)
- Neva (female)
- Memphis Zoo, Tennessee
- Haley (female)
- Payton (male)
- Milwaukee County Zoo, Wisconsin
- Snow Lilly (female)
- North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, North Carolina
- Anana (female)
- Nikita (male)
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska
- None since death of Fanny (aka Bam Bam) (female) on 19 February 2019
- Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon
- New exhibit “Polar Passage” due to open 2020
- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Pennsylvania
- Snowflake (female)
- Koda (male)
- Port Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Tacoma, Washington
- Blizzard (male)
- Boris (male)
- Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri
- Kali (male)
- San Diego SeaWorld, California
- No polar bears at present but Snowflake is expected to return from her loan to Pittsburgh Zoo at some point in 2019
- San Diego Zoo, California
- Chinook (female)
- Tatqiq (female)
- Kalluk (male)
- Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester, New York
- Anoki (female)
- Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Hope (female)
- Nora (female)
Deceased bears
Details of various deceased captive polar bears will be added here during 2019.
- Taiga (female) died in Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, Ontario, Canada 21 January 2019.
- Liya (female) died in Sea World, Gold Coast, Australia 28 December 2019.
- Lyutyik (“Louie”) (male) died in Alaska Zoo 13 October 2019.
- Eli (male) born 2014 in the wild, died 15 July 2015 in Assiniboine Zoo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. No progeny.
- Manasse (male) born 28 November 1989 in Kolmården Wildlife Park, Sweden, died 28 August 2017 in Ranua Wildlife Park, Finland. Father of Ranzo , born 2011.
- Bärle (female) was rescued from a Mexican circus in Puerto Rico in 2002. She was believed to have been born in the wild in Manitoba in 1984. She arrived in Detroit Zoo on 19 November 2002 and was euthanised on 18 July 2012, suffering from lymphosarcoma. She had one cub, Talini born in 2004.
- Blizzard (male) born in the wild 2013, died 28 January 2019 in Assiniboine Zoo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. No progeny.
- Bora (female) born in Vienna Zoo, Austria on 20 November 1986. She arrived in Prague Zoo, Czech Republic on 10 September 1997. She gave birth to a cub, Berta on 2 December 2003; Berta is still in Praque Zoo. Bora suffered a suspected stroke early in 2019. On 27 August 2019 she was found to be paralyzed on the right side of her body, probably due to a second stroke. Aged 32 she was euthanised.
Misha was a circus polar bear rescued in 1979 and brought to live at Bristol Zoo in the UK. He died in 1992 and helped change zoos forever, becoming the centre of an international animal rights campaign because of his clearly depressed behaviour. The story of his suffering, caused as much by the circus as by his pitiful zoo enclosure, was picked up around the world and arguably became a turning point in how animals were kept in zoos. For more click here to view a BBC video and here for an article published 7 October 2019 (both open in new windows).
Page updated 08 February 2020