Sloth bears are reclusive, solitary, nocturnal animals, that only come together for 2 - 3 days during the mating season--- and that is it! They instinctively are not used to being paired continually, nor are they instinctively used to being on display during the entire day. This isn't natural for them. Most of their activity in the wild is at night. Perhaps the above are some of the reasons as to why the bears pace.
We have one of the sloth bears from the National Zoo, Bala, who currently resides at the Akron, Ohio Zoo. He does something similar. Not only does he pace, but he does this step, head circling kind of dance in front of the glass and in front of the metal holding doors. I heard that suckling even for adult bears will calm them down. Someone told me that his mama bear weened him too early, and that is why Bala exhibits his distress behaviour.
He's pacing because he is stressed in that environment. Many wild caught animals forced to live in substandard conditions display this behavior. Not all zoos have proper habitat and stimulating activities for these animals. Hence, the mindless, stressed out pacing. Sad, very sad.
Actually, he's pacing out of habit now. Like when someone bites their nails when they're nervous and soon finds themselves biting their nails when they're not nervous, this bear, Merlin, paces out of habit. He's taken very good care of.
national zoo is free
jakey31peters 1 year ago
Zoo's are prisons for animals - SICK. Sick that people pay and take the kids to watch these animals PACE up and down
newcastlebooks 1 year ago
Sloth bears are reclusive, solitary, nocturnal animals, that only come together for 2 - 3 days during the mating season--- and that is it! They instinctively are not used to being paired continually, nor are they instinctively used to being on display during the entire day. This isn't natural for them. Most of their activity in the wild is at night. Perhaps the above are some of the reasons as to why the bears pace.
IRmediator 2 years ago
We have one of the sloth bears from the National Zoo, Bala, who currently resides at the Akron, Ohio Zoo. He does something similar. Not only does he pace, but he does this step, head circling kind of dance in front of the glass and in front of the metal holding doors. I heard that suckling even for adult bears will calm them down. Someone told me that his mama bear weened him too early, and that is why Bala exhibits his distress behaviour.
IRmediator 2 years ago
my cousin lives in dc, the bear never stops pacing it does it every single day
midcityfiesta 4 years ago
Is your cousin at the zoo every single day by chance? This bear isn't out every day.
der7574 3 years ago
He's pacing because he is stressed in that environment. Many wild caught animals forced to live in substandard conditions display this behavior. Not all zoos have proper habitat and stimulating activities for these animals. Hence, the mindless, stressed out pacing. Sad, very sad.
tiffyme 4 years ago
Actually, he's pacing out of habit now. Like when someone bites their nails when they're nervous and soon finds themselves biting their nails when they're not nervous, this bear, Merlin, paces out of habit. He's taken very good care of.
der7574 3 years ago 2
did y'all see that sloth bear ground and pound that monkey's ass a while back?
Cool stuff
bajkfhbaukh4eqd 5 years ago