The tiny 200 square metre polar bear exhibit at Tianjin with Pizza on the right and his mother on the left (HZY)
Facility
Location: Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean Park
海昌海洋公园
Address: 61 Xiangluowan Bay Business Area, Binhai New Area, Tianjin, China
Telephone: +86 22 6622 7777
Email: Not found
Website: http://www.haichangoceanpark.com/tianjin
Bears
Unknown (female). Possibly a brown bear / polar bear hybrid. Mother of Pizza
Pizza (believed male, see “Details” below). Believed born in captivity in Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean Park in 2013.
Details
Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean World opened in 2010 and covers an area of 49,000 square metres. According to Haichang’s website the facility is divided up into eleven large exhibition areas.
The polar bear exhibit at Tianjin which houses Pizza and his mother (name unknown) covers an area of just 200 square metres (2,150 square feet). While there do appear to be places the bears can use to hide from the public they have no access to off exhibit areas while the zoo is open and no access to the open air.
The China Cetacean Alliance (CCA) inspected Tianjin in May 2017 and reported that Pizza was showing strong stereotypical behaviour and that there was also some aggression between the two bears. In the report the CCA describe Pizza as a female but, at least at present, the consensus seems to be that this is a male bear.
We have no further information at present.
Concerns
- The exhibit is too small for a single bear, let alone two bears
- No access to outside areas and no vistas
- No access to off exhibit areas
- Risk of breeding between mother and her offspring
- No apparent enrichment programme
- Evidence of bears being taught to beg for food
We do not have any details ofthe feeding, exercise, medical and enrichment regimes.
Return to Captive Polar Bear Directory
Page updated 15 March 2021