Vienna Zoo's Polar Bear Helps Train AI to Spot Bears Before They Get Too Close to Humans

Vienna, Austria – Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna is supplying video footage of its male polar bear to help develop an artificial intelligence early-warning system that detects polar bears before they come too close to people.

The system is being developed by the conservation organisation Polar Bears International (PBI), which the zoo has supported for many years. The zoo is highlighting the project during Polar Bear Week, from November 1 to 7.

"Due to climate change, Arctic sea ice is shrinking. Polar bears are spending more and more time on land, which can increase human-animal conflicts. If the animals are detected early, dangerous situations can be avoided. This not only protects people, but can also prevent polar bears from being injured or killed in conflicts," said zoo director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck.

PBI has already developed an AI-powered radar system called "Bear-dar", which detects approaching polar bears and warns people in time. It has been used successfully in the Canadian Arctic. Because the system is very expensive, work is now under way on a cheaper alternative called "Bear-vision", designed to recognise polar bears automatically from video images.

Training the AI requires a large amount of video footage, so the zoo is recording its male polar bear in different weather and light conditions.

The bear also contributes to research through medical training, in which he learns to open his mouth, step onto the scales and give blood voluntarily and without stress. This allows blood samples to be taken regularly without anaesthesia, providing reference data that can help interpret test results from wild polar bears.