Bears as pets? It must be illegal! Well, not exactly. At least in the U.S., it's legal to have some bears in a handful of states, and some have successfully (and not so successfully) own polar bears.
It is illegal to have large carnivores in China (in cities), and those places that have not yet enacted bans may simply be because no one is trying to keep such large predators.
In fact, in some of the more remote areas, a small number of pet owners are actually dismissive of raising bears. Black bears are probably the most common, and even brown bears (including grizzly bears) can indeed be privately owned. Some of the more exotic bears, such as sun bears and sloth bears, are also privately owned.
Of course, you can't have a giant panda. But what about polar bears? For several reasons, these cold-water-loving behemoths are unlikely to grace the backyard of a true "pet owner."
Prime Minister, they need a swimming pool. Polar bears are partially aquatic and require a pool large enough and deep enough for them to swim in, which is very expensive. This includes a large pool, forging opportunities, climbing, a variety of durable "toys", movable cage furniture, and possibly nesting materials consisting of a covering, straw or other soft substrate.
They have complex physiological needs, all bears are highly demanding in captivity, and it is clear that there is very little information about polar bear rearing. In general, polar bears in the wild are solitary and completely carnivorous, eating mainly seals and small amounts of plants. They spend about 30% of their time swimming, walking and hunting!
From this we can deduce that the rearing of polar bears is very complex and requires a large meat diet. One of the most obvious issues is temperature, as polar bears originate in extremely cold environments. Despite coming from the Arctic, polar bears can actually tolerate "warm" temperatures, and 18 degrees Celsius is its limit! Therefore, raising polar bears in warm climates requires the use of air conditioning, chilled water, cool indoor areas and ice piles to provide cool space for polar bears.
Polar bears do not need to be fed seal meat and can also get proper nutrition. In zoos, they are fed a nutritious diet recipe for carnivores as well as saltwater fish, bones and vegetables. It can even include dry dog food, "gel" products, and include rabbit, trout, herring, and mackerel.
Does anyone really keep polar bears as pets? There really is, at least one known pet, polar bear owner. Dumas owns a real polar bear in British Columbia, Canada, and it has been described as "the world's only trained polar bear" called "Agee" (Agee).
The polar bear has been owned since she was 6 weeks old and grew up in the Dumas family. This is a common condition for "taming" large predators that interact well with their owners (starting to breed at a very young age).
Of course, many people may not consider Age to be a "pet," however, it is indeed owned and cared for by the couple and lives on their property, so she is their pet.
Agee has appeared in commercial and film, including "Alaska" (1995), "Arctic Operations" and "Two Lovers and a Bear." She has been to Europe twice, and she has realized her comfort in travel and interpersonal contact.
Does this mean that owning a polar bear is a good idea?
The obvious answer happens to be the right one: no.
Like lions, spotted hyenas and other large carnivores, these animals, when kept in captivity, are still unusually powerful animals that can easily and seriously harm humans. It only takes a bad accident or mistake to have very serious consequences. Keeping any kind of bear is inherently risky, and keeping them as pets can be fatal.
That being said, some have done so successfully, as Dumas did, that at least now it seems that both the animal and the owner are satisfied.
So, can polar bears be kept as pets? The answer is, yes!