In Japan's bear parks, bears are kept in concrete enclosures and made to beg for food in the name of public entertainment. WSPA aims to ensure all facilities are improved and must demonstrate high animal welfare standards or be closed down.

DONATE NOW

Suffering in the parks

In some parks a lack of stimulation and overcrowding leads to severe mood swings which range from laziness, madness or aggression.

Unsupervised public feeding creates an unbalanced diet for the bears. Fights over the food cause injuries that are often left untreated, leading to infection.

Some parks also use the bears in circus-like shows where the bears are forced to perform tricks that do not demonstrate their natural behavior, and can be physically and psychologically exhausting for the animals.

Further aggression and pacing behavior, which is typical of psychologically affected bears, is also caused by the barren enclosures.

Key achievements to date

• Northern Japanese bear park, Jyozankei, was closed down.
• The largest two bear parks confirm that they have plans for alternative ‘forested' enclosures.
• Japan Bear Network requests that one of the largest parks improve conditions immediately and make their plans for improvements public.
• Japanese Campaign Website launched to spur the Japanese public into taking action against the bear parks.
• A cinema advertisement reinforcing WSPA's claim that conditions are sub-standard in bear parks, was shown for the first time to The World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA) in Japan.

Plans for the future

WSPA is working with international and national partners, including zoo associations and the Japanese tourist industry, to keep the campaign moving forward.

In 2006 WSPA will ensure that the two largest parks keep to their promises to construct alternative facilities.The assesment of the current situation in the remaining parks continues.

Support our programs for bears and other animals around the world >>