Bear Country Philadelphia Zoo Sloth Bear

White, scruffy bear with large mane and white, curved text above and below.

The Philadelphia Zoo opened in 1874 and was America’s first zoo. The zoo’s bear pits were originally constructed in 1874, but they were replaced by the Bear Country exhibit in 1980. Bear Country with its waterfalls, brooks, and pools is home to polar bears, sloth bears, Andean bears, and Asiatic black bears. Polar bears come from the world’s Arctic regions, can weight up to 1,200 pounds, and can swim underwater for up to 2 minutes. Sloth bears live in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. They eat termites and ants and are primarily nocturnal. Andean bears are known for having blonde hair around their eyes, which makes it seem like they are wearing glasses. They are the only bear native to South America and little is known about their behavior. Asiatic black bears are good climbers and can be found in mountains and forests at 9,842 to 16,404 feet in Southeast Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, North and South Korea, Nepal, Bangladesh, Russia, and China.