Bear Country

Welcome to Bear Country at the Philadelphia Zoo, where the fur is thick, the naps are long, and the snack game is strong! Our grizzlies and spectacled bears rule their rocky, forested habitat with a mix of lazy lounging and playful antics. Watch them climb, splash, and maybe even strike a pose for your camera—treats are optional but highly encouraged. It’s like a wilderness retreat, but with better crowds and no need for hiking boots. Just don’t challenge them to a salmon-eating contest—you will lose.

Penguin Point, situated in the former polar bear enclosure, is the best penguin exhibit anywhere! Over a dozen Humboldt penguins have a 125,000 gallon pool which allows kids (and adults) to see the birds swimming under water. The pool water is chilled in the summer heat. The nesting burrows are easily visible to guests so that penguins can be observed on land as well. This is a brilliant re-imagining of the space after the passing of the former longtime residents in 2015 and 2018.

You need a lot of patience here. Bears are mostly resting. But sometimes when they are out and about or swimming it is awesome. The way these large creatures carry themselves is unbelievable.

Maybe it is from the pandemic but felt a bit underwhelmed. If it is going to be called Bear Country, I would expect more than two bears in what I can not tell are natural landscapes or just unkempt exhibit space

Great zoo, although it appears they do not have enough Staff