Grizzlies are huge, powerful North American bears, and a big grizzly habitat with a river running through it is one of the classic Planet Zoo builds. They need space, water and solid rock walls they can't climb.
Space and group
- A male and female pair.
- About 1,000 m² of land, plus water.
The barrier
- Concrete barriers.
- Rock walls to block climbing. Grizzlies will use any rock near the edge as a step, so keep it solid.
- A staff gate for keepers.
Water
Grizzlies want a river or pond. A few things I learned building one:
- Concrete and glass barriers stop water, but the barrier must go deep enough into the ground.
- "Animals less than 1 m from water level can cause obstructions" means you need to adjust the water depth or the terrain near the edge.
- "Terrain too uneven for placement" means smooth the ground first.
- Water pumps auto-connect into a network. Choose a flowing water surface for a river look.
Shelter and plants
- Large rock shelters.
- Use the nature brush filtered to North America: semi-aquatic temperate trees, shrubs, floating plants and clover flowers. Turn on "align to water" for waterside plants.
- Small rocky cover is one of their requirements.
Enrichment
- Suspended ball with a frame
- Wind chimes
- Scent marker
Viewing
- Elevated viewing with stairs and a ramp (for accessibility).
- River viewing under the path, with glass looking into the water.
- A huge "Great bear information board" from the Workshop makes a great education centrepiece.
Release groups
In some Franchise zoos grizzlies have no valid wildlife reserve or release group types. Check before you plan releases around them.
Research
Grizzly research can be completed fully. Put a vet on it early. It unlocks extra enrichment and the thriving requirements.
Cleanliness
Bear habitats get a disease-risk warning quickly if keepers don't clean. Make sure the habitat is inside a work zone with enough keepers.