34th & GIRARD (WPVI) — The Philadelphia Zoo’s new Francis J. Carey Bear Country is home to three rare bears.<\/p>\n
Turbo and Alba are Andean bears (think Paddington Bear) who come to Philadelphia from the San Diego Zoo. The bears are native to South America and known for climbing.<\/p>\n
There’s also a sloth bear named Bhalu! Sloth bears are native to India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n
They are designed to hunt insects and are missing a couple of front teeth so they can slurp up bugs. Their distinctive claws allow them to dig in termite mounds.<\/p>\n
Their new $25 million state-of-the-art home is a naturalistic habitat that replicates what you would see in the wild, while keeping the bears safe from the challenges of the real world.<\/p>\n
Both bear species are threatened by extinction in the wild and it’s hoped that baby cubs will be coming to Philadelphia Zoo soon.<\/p>\n
Francis J. Carey Bear Country<\/a><\/p>\n Philadelphia Zoo is America’s first zoo and to celebrate America’s 250th, the zoo has some special Zootopiaries.<\/p>\n There’s a Bald Eagle, a bear topiary to celebrate the new Bear Country and a 7-foot tall tortoise, a nod to the zoo’s Galapagos tortoise, Mommy, who made world news last year when she became a first-time mom at the estimated age of 97.<\/p>\n The intricate designs use 8,800 plants and highlight the zoo’s founding mission as a zoological garden, where people could see animals in a garden setting.<\/p>\n Hop on the zoo’s first ever Ferris wheel (spelled Pherris to give it some Philly flair!), and you can take in the lush 42-acres from 110 feet up in the sky.<\/p>\n There are 24 gondolas offering spectacular views of the city skyline, the Schuylkill River and the Philadelphia Museum of Art throughout this semi-quincentennial year.<\/p>\n Philadelphia Zoo<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a> Copyright \u00a9 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n
3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa 19104<\/p>\n