Carey Bear Country FAQ

Francis J. Carey Bear Country is a $25 million state-of-the-art facility built with the highest standards for animal care in mind, making it one of the best in the country for vulnerable bears. The newly refreshed and upgraded spaces include the addition of a third bear habitat, dedicated behind-the-scenes indoor and outdoor den spaces to support breeding programs, and a brand-new Zoo360 trail – Gould & Potter Crossing – for the bears to explore, the first-ever for bears at Philadelphia Zoo. Not only does Carey Bear Country enhance the Zoo’s animal care program, it creates a dynamic, memorable and educational experience for guests of all ages and backgrounds. This is the biggest construction project at Philadelphia Zoo in over a decade, since the opening of KidZooU in 2013.

Becoming a Philadelphia Zoo member not only supports animal care and conservation, but includes additional perks like exclusive access to new experiences. Members are invited for exclusive member previews Friday, June 5, Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Carey Bear Country opens for first looks to the public on Thursday, June 4 at 11:30am and is included in general admission.

The new Carey Bear Country goes well beyond the standards for animal care set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The exhibit features 60% more space for bears with the addition of a third bear habitat and improvements that mimic the natural spaces wild bears live in. New features include:

• The Gould & Potter Crossing Zoo360 Trail for animal exploration
• Digging pits to increase food foraging opportunities
• Heated water features and pools for drinking and playing
• Fourteen-foot-tall climbing structures
• Fresh landscaping that provides shade
• Indoor and outdoor behind-the-scenes denning space for cub rearing
• Spaces and new features for behavioral enrichment and training opportunities
• Structural and landscape designs to support newborn and aging animals
• Bird-safe glass to protect native bird species from collisions

These enhancements strengthen the Zoo’s commitment AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP) and Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) Program.

Carey Bear Country creates an awe-inspiring guest experience that increases opportunities where they can easily see and get close to the animals. Improvements include:

• Glass viewing areas to allow guests to come nose-to-nose with the bears
• New areas to allow guests to watch bear training sessions
• New, interactive educational signage to educate about the bears and their conservation stories
• Seven gender-neutral restrooms, one family restroom and a dedicated nursing suite

Carey Bear Country enhances all facets of animal care, including providing animal care staff new work spaces, including:

• Brand-new kitchen designed to help efficiently store and prepare bear diets
• Comfortable office spaces to maintain daily reports
• New spaces to train animals to support veterinary care

Carey Bear Country is opening for a first-look to all guests on Thursday, June 4 at 11:30am. Carey Bear Country will be open daily from 9:30am – 5:00pm starting Friday, June 5.

Animal care and well-being are at the forefront of every decision made at the Zoo. During the first opening weeks, the bears will be acclimating to their brand-new habitats and may not always be in their outdoor spaces. Stay tuned to the Zoo’s website and social media accounts, or subscribe to its email newsletter for updates on when the bears begin to walk through the Zoo360 trail and explore the third additional bear habitat.

Carey Bear Country opens for first looks on Thursday, June 4 at 11:30am, and will be open 9:30am – 5:00pm daily starting Friday, June 5.

Carey Bear Country is home to two species of vulnerable bears: Andean bears and sloth bears.

Andean bears are the only bear species native to South America and live in the Andes Mountains. They have light, circular or semi-circular markings on their faces, which is why they are also called spectacled bears. They are excellent climbers and are known for building nests in trees to both eat and sleep. They eat fruits, berries and shrubs and eat the most plants of any other bear species. This species faces threats including habitat loss and degradation, human conflicts, and poaching.

Sloth Bears are found in the lowland forests of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. They have long, dark shaggy fur with a distinct cream-colored “U” or “Y” shaped marking on their chests. They have flexible snouts, protruding upper and lower lips, and powerful lungs that allow them to dislodge and eat termites and ants that are 8-10 feet underground. They also eat eggs, insects, honeycombs, carrion, and various kinds of vegetation. This species faces threats including habitat loss, human conflicts and poaching.

• Andean bears are found in the Andes Mountains, mainly in or near forested areas from Venezuela to Columbia. They are also found south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
• They are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Populations are likely to decline enough by 2030 to classify the species as endangered due to continued habitat loss and degradation, human conflicts, and poaching.
• They are the only bear species found in South America.
• They have distinctive circular or semi-circular creamy white or yellowish markings (spectacles) on the face and around the eyes.
• Males weigh between 220 –340 lbs., while females only reach about 180 lbs.
• They are excellent climbers and can reach heights of up to 80 ft. into the canopy. They are known for building nests in trees for sleeping and feeding.
• When looking for food, they may assemble a small platform from branches to give them support while they reach for fruit.

• Sloth bears are found in the lowland forests of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with populations decreasing dramatically in recent decades due to habitat loss, human conflicts and poaching.
• They have long, dark shaggy fur with a distinct, cream-colored "U" or "Y" shaped marking on their chests.
• Adult males can weigh between 175-310 lbs. Females are smaller and weigh 120-210 lbs.
• They have flexible snouts, protruding upper and lower lips, and powerful lungs that allow them to dislodge and eat termites and ants that are 8-10 feet underground.
• They can voluntarily close their nostrils to make sure no insects enter their nose. Aside from insects, sloth bears eat fruits, flowers and honey.
• They also eat eggs, insects, honeycombs, carrion, and various kinds of vegetation.

At its opening, Carey Bear Country will be home to three bears: male and female Andean bears Turbo (15) and Alba (11) and male sloth bear Bhalu (13). Turbo and Alba are new to the Zoo and previously had three cubs together at San Diego Zoo; Bhalu has lived at Philadelphia Zoo since 2015 and lived at Little Rock Zoo during construction before returning. Bhalu’s mate, Kayla, who also lived at Philadelphia Zoo since 2015, is currently raising her (and Bhalu’s) two new cubs at Little Rock Zoo, and Kayla will return to Philadelphia once they are successfully weaned in about two years.

Turbo, male Andean bear
Birthday: December 30, 2010
Loves: Weaving plant material together to make large elaborate beds, playing with his mate Alba when she is receptive, smashing open his bones
Favorite Foods: Avocado and femur bones
Fun Fact: Loves to show off his strength and skills by throwing his enrichment bones to the ground to smash them open and get to the marrow

Alba, female Andean bear
Birthday: January 23, 2015
Loves: Making beds high in the climbing structures and then watching the world around her, learning how to take things apart, being an amazing mother
Favorite Foods: Avocado and mixed nuts
Fun Fact: She is a very intelligent bear that always keeps her animal care specialists on their toes!

Bhalu, male sloth bear
Birthday: January 20, 2013
Loves: Playing with enrichment toys that are paw sized so he can roll and throw them
Favorite food: Peanut butter and honey water
Fun Fact: Bhalu is a father to five offspring with his mate, Kayla.

Where’s Kayla?

While Kayla and Bhalu were at Little Rock Zoo during Carey Bear Country construction, the two successfully bred. Kayla welcomed two healthy cubs in December 2025. She will remain in Little Rock until her cubs are weaned and ready to live on their own, about two years from now.

As an essential part of animal care, the Zoo has a dedicated nutrition team that creates specialized food plans for each of its 1,900 animals. Both bear species at the Zoo are considered omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plant materials. Andean bears eat fruits, berries and shrubs and eat the most plants of any other bear species. At the Zoo, their diet consists of protein options like fish, beef and eggs along with fruits and vegetables like apples, avocados, butternut squash, papayas and more for variety. Sloth bears are specialized in eating termites, but they will also eat eggs, insects, honeycombs, carrion, and various kinds of vegetation. At the Zoo, their diet consists of mealworms, melon, tomatoes, blueberries and more for variety. Each species also receives a standard Mazuri omnivore diet to ensure they receive all the essential vitamins and minerals.

At Carey Bear Country, guests will be able to visit three fully refreshed and reimagined habitats now home to Andean and sloth bears. Throughout the exhibit, there will be new ways for guests to get closer than ever before to the Zoo’s bears with cave-like glass viewing areas. Interactive, educational signage throughout the space will tell the stories of these two species, the threats they face in the wild, and how Philadelphia Zoo is making a difference in their conservation.

The best time to visit Carey Bear Country is right when the Zoo opens, as the bears are getting their first food of the day and beginning to explore their outdoor habitats.

There are no current Behind-the-Scenes Experience opportunities at Carey Bear Country. Stay tuned to the Zoo’s website and social media accounts, or subscribe to its email newsletter to learn when they could become available.

Yes, Carey Bear Country includes the addition of a Zoo360 trail. Gould & Potter Crossing allows the Zoo’s bears to cross over the guest path as they travel to the brand-new bear habitat, giving guests an unforgettable experience and our bears more ways to explore.

The Zoo’s conservation work includes advocating for and protecting species around the globe. Carey Bear Country is home to two species: Andean bears and sloth bears. Both species are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to various threats.

To protect these species, the Zoo participates in two programs managed and spearheaded by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The first is the Species Survival Plan (SSP). The goal of this program is to manage populations of threatened, endangered and other species across AZA institutions to maintain long-term genetic and demographic viability to protect species from extinction.

The second is the Andean Bears SAFE and Sloth Bears SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) programs. This initiative focuses the collective expertise within AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and leverages their massive audiences to save species. The program builds on established recovery plans, implements strategic conservation and stakeholder engagement activities, and prioritizes collaboration among AZA member institutions.

Separately, the Zoo directly supports organizations in the countries where Andean and sloth bears are native.

In India, Philadelphia Zoo works with Wildlife SOS, an organization established in 1995 with the goal to make a lasting change to protect and conserve the country’s natural heritage, forests and biodiversity. Part of their work is managing Agra Bear Rescue, the largest facility of its kind in the world that cares for more than 80 rescued sloth bears.

In Ecuador, Philadelphia Zoo works with Zoo Amaru to protect several species of threatened amphibians, which includes a dedicated breeding facility for critically endangered frogs and toads. In addition to amphibians, Zoo Amaru works with all threatened native wildlife, and notably provides significant support to Andean bear conservation efforts. Today, Zoo Amaru is home to eight Andean bears rescued from illegal wildlife trafficking and other high-risk situations, providing them with a safe environment and comprehensive care. Amaru is also working together with other conservation institutions on a wild bear monitoring project using camera traps and satellite technology to track the movements of Andean bears in real time.

The W. P. Carey Foundation, with family roots in Philadelphia and a history of charitable giving in the region and throughout the country, pledged lead charitable support for the Zoo’s new, state-of-the-art bear habitat. Other philanthropic partners of Francis J. Carey Bear Country include the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the broader donor community. It is also supported by the William Penn Foundation, whose investment further emphasizes their commitment to making the arts and culture organizations in Philadelphia more accessible to all local residents.

As a part of the first-look, members of the community are invited to contribute to Carey Bear Country in a meaningful and memorable way. With a gift of $1,000, donors can be recognized with a custom, engraved brick that will be a part of the Zoo’s landscape for years to come. These bricks are not only a beautiful addition to Carey Bear Country, they provide an eco-friendly design with permeable surfaces helping to manage storm water and run-off into the local ecosystem. Each brick is approximately 5"x10" and allows for 3 lines of up to 16 spaces.

Carey Bear Country is the flag project for Remember the Future: The Campaign for Philadelphia Zoo. This comprehensive fundraising effort supports the Zoo’s bold commitment to protect species, champion animal wellbeing, transform the visitor experience, and inspire the next generation of conservation leaders. Support of this campaign will safeguard a future where wildlife thrives and where every visit to the Zoo continues to spark wonder, connection, and possibilities for years to come. Remember the Future has a goal to raise $85 million. As of June 2026, the Zoo has raised more than $68 million. Learn more on how to support this initiative here.

As a part of the first-look opening of Carey Bear Country, guests can enjoy specialty food and souvenir options. Visit the Mini Melts location right next to Hollenstein Ross Penguin Point to enjoy a delicious bear claw pastry or a bear cookie or penguin cookie. At the Zoo’s Gift Shop near the main entrance or its newly rebranded gift shop in the center of the Zoo, Destination Philadelphia, guests can choose from a variety of bear plushies, t-shirts, and other items. Guests can also visit one of the Zoo’s face painting locations for specialty bear designs.