Zoo-Based Studies

Our fieldwork with polar bears takes us from Alaska to Svalbard and across the Canadian North, working in subzero temperatures and other Arctic conditions. But we’ve also discovered that, sometimes, critical polar bear questions can only be answered in a zoo setting — or through a collaborative effort involving wild and zoo bears (i.e., in situ and ex situ research).

The zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks in our Arctic Ambassador Center network partner with us on key research projects. They fill knowledge gaps and answer basic questions, ultimately helping scientists better understand what polar bears need to survive in a rapidly changing Arctic.

Over the past two decades, studies with zoo partners have yielded invaluable insights, from documenting the polar bears’ hearing range to testing their energy use and how they find mates.