Philadelphia Zoo's bear exhibit to get $20M upgrade
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The zoo's sloth bear Kayla is getting new digs. Photo: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo's Bear Country exhibit is getting a $20 million makeover.
The big picture: The project is the zoo's largest in more than a decade.
Driving the news: The zoo plans to renovate its two bear habitats and add a third space for its bear breeding program. The project will break ground next year.
What to expect: New landscaping and water features in the habitats, as well as:
- Glass-viewing areas for guests to get a close-up look at the bears
- A new area for guests to watch keepers train the animals
- An off-exhibit habitat that will help in the rearing of cubs.
👋 During construction, the two sloth bears, lone Andean bear and Humboldt penguins will be relocated to other facilities outside the zoo.
🐻 1 cool thing: The project will add to the zoo's network of see-through mesh animal trails, known as Zoo360, to allow its bears to rotate among their habitats.
What's next: The new exhibit is expected to open in the spring of 2026.
