Bear pit

Bear pit

A bear pit was historically used to display bears, typically for entertainment and especially bear-baiting. The pit area was normally surrounded by a high fence, above which the spectators would look down on the bears.

The most traditional form of maintaining bears in captivity is keeping them in pits, although many zoos replaced these by more elaborate and spacious enclosures that attempt to replicate their natural habitats, for the benefit of the animals and the visitors.

Berlin has a bear pit, known as the "Bärenzwinger", which was established in 1939 in Köllnischer Park behind the Märkisches Museum. Another bear pit in Berne, Switzerland, known as the Bärengraben, was built in 1857 and is still in use.

Other meanings

An other meaning is for an unusually agressive political arena, in which direct, heated attacks are common." [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10536851 What happened to bully Banks?] " - "The New Zealand Herald", Saturday 11 October 2008]

See also

* Bear
* Menagerie
* Zoo

References

External links

* [http://www.sbg.org.uk/bear.asp Sheffield Botanical Gardens Bear Pit]


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