Bear Pits: Legend has it that the founder of Bern, Berchtold V von Zähringen, killed a bear on the Aare peninsula and this led to the town being called Bern (from German “Bär”) and explains why the city’s coat of arms features a bear.The existing Bear Pits have been in the same location since 1857. In 1995/96 most areas of the Bear Pits underwent renovation with the aim of providing the bears with a habitat more naturally suited to them. Nowadays the Bear Pits house two Pyrenean brown bears (Pedro and Tana). The bears are out in the open every day:
- in summer time from 09.30 to 17.00 hours
- in winter time from 09.30 to 16.30 hours
Bear Park: The existing Bear Pits are to be turned into a Bear Park in the future. The project was launched in April 2003 and aims to create two bear enclosures measuring over 10 000 m2 in which the bears will be able to be outdoors all day throughout the year (in winter caves).Furthermore the new enclosures will provide the bears with the opportunity to swim and fish in the water of the River Aare for the first time ever. A new feature of the Bear Park will be that it is open 24 hours a day and visitors will be able to gain a good insight into “bear life” from paths running round the enclosure. Furthermore there will be technological equipment to help locate the bears.