There are lots of things that make a place feel like home. Your home is probably full of sights, sounds and smells that feel familiar and cozy. Those things are important for animals in captivity, too.
To find out more, I talked with Charles Robbins, a wildlife biologist at Washington State University. He started the WSU Bear Center. It’s the only grizzly bear research center in the United States.
“The most important thing to bears and probably most animals is a feeling of safety –that they’re not being hurt, and the food is good,” Robbins said. “Probably all the same things that you and I would sense if we moved to a new place.”
The WSU grizzly bears live in social groups. They share six dens and take turns exploring and playing in the 2.2-acre exercise yard. Some of the bears came from Yellowstone National Park. That’s a massive place. Wild bears there can roam thousands of acres looking for food and shelter.