The Behaviour–Based Approach to Bear Husbandry

This book is a behaviour-based approach to captive bear management. It provides a comprehensive guide to the evolutionary, physical and psychological needs of the eight bear species, combining data from wildlife ecologists, captive institutions and research facilities to promote the best-practice management of bears in captivity. The initial chapters offer a rationale for a behaviour-based approach, examining the habitat, behaviour and ecology of bear species in the wild, and their traditional management in captive environments. The authors discuss the benefits and drawbacks of various captive management systems, dispel common myths troubleshoot specific problems, and promote an evidence-based, best-practice approach to successfully managing these challenging species in captive environments.