Social interaction of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in natural and artificial habitat conditions

The purpose of the research is to compare the activity and structure of social groups of polar bears in nature and in captivity; to determine the impact of social enrichment of polar bears kept in a zoo on the changes in daily activity and the share of stereotypical behavior of animals. In natural conditions, cohabitation on the same territory is not typical, except for the period of sexual activity and feeding near the carcass of a fallen animal. Finding of a large number of polar bears in one territory is promoted by social behavior, i.e. demonstrated when approaching to the food eaten by other bears. In the practice of the zoo, family groups are formed to keep polar bears in one enclosure. As a rule, this is a female with cubs. The joint maintenance of a pair of polar bears in the Park of Krasnoyarsk "Roev ruchey" for 2 years ( ♂ and ♀ ) contributed to positive dynamics - reducing stereotypical behavior, increasing daily activity. After the separation of the couple, the male showed unstable daily activity and an increase in the share of stereotypical behavior from 0.46 hours to 12.49 hours a day. In natural conditions, the most common types of polar bear activity are outside of ice fields: sleep (54.6 % by occurrence, n=995) and moving in the search of food (19.5 %). In the conditions of the Park "Roev ruchey" sleep in the daytime takes 6 % of the occurrence, n=639. Most of the activity of bears is occupied by walking around the enclosure, including stereotypical (33 %). This difference in the distribution of different forms of activity requires further research.