In the wild/natural habitat, their instincts are keen, they are 'equipped' to take care of themselves.

In confinement those instincts are blunted by a different reality. It is questionably cruel to put such magnificent creatures in captivity. I am not going to go into the morality of zoos, they exist and quite frankly without them we would be left with taxadermy to educate ourselves about Earth and it's species diversity. It's silly to assume that a human fascination with animals kept close to society in zoos is wrong. It's a statement about our humanity, our compassion, our desire to be among all of what is life. We have come to appreciate Earth and it's wonderment because of humanized institutions such as zoos. I believe it is healthy and important to maintain high morals in regard to the other life we include living among us and with us, close to home. It's admirable for an intelligent species such as human beings, to consider other species as important to our lives as perhaps we become to them when contact is made.

What is vitally important in realizing how poorly humans have managed their compatibility with the planet that supports life, zoos are not a Noah's Ark. It would be wrong to consider such a reality in the face of prudent economics resulting in responsible energy sources and transportation.

If one is of religious conviction then realize Earth is the place God has made a stand with biological reality. If Polar Bears are to be wild in the way of the Lord; then to contain them and change them in order to protect them while humans rampage around disregarding the pure nature of an animal's reality, is to disregard God's will.