Monitoring the Welfare of Bears in Captivity

Humans and bears have shared a tenuous relationship, typically to the detriment of bears' welfare. Today, sanctuaries housing rescued 'tamed' bears aim to provide appropriate lodging, nutrition and medical care. However, the practicality and oversight of these facilities are dependent on sanctuaries' human and financial resources. This project aims to suggest possible technological enrichment and monitoring solutions for captive bears to allow early detection of stress signals and observe their comfort, body condition, and overall well-being. We validate these solutions through feedback and brainstorming sessions with experts in animal behaviour, animal-computer interaction, and designers for animal enrichment. Furthermore, we propose methods for the future and usage of this behavioural data collection to better understand the bears' way of life and needs, thereby improving the general knowledge about bear behaviour.