EN
In the study conducted in Poland (2007–2009) data on animal welfare were collected using questionnaires based on the Five Freedoms concept. The ranking of keeping conditions was created, based on the total count of evaluation points for each enclosure. The behaviour was scanned with all-occurrences recording up to 6 hours per enclosure. Each location was visited three times giving the total number of 342 observation hours. Occurrences of stereotypic behaviours were observed in all individuals in the amount ranging from 0.5 to 88.3% of observation time. The results showed a significant difference in time devoted to stereotypies in relation to species (P=0.04). Brown bears (Ursus arctos) were more likely to perform stereotypic behavior than Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus). There was a significant correlation between space and stereotypies (r=−0.43, P=0.03). A lower level of stereotypic behavior accompanied higher values of space variable. The correlation between the level of stereotypies and the overall assessment of the keeping conditions was r=0.58, statistically significant for P≤0.05.