Bear pit

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.

It usually consists of a large earthen pit with sharpened pikes in the bottom to impale the bear.

The term bear pit is also used to describe a tournament or sparring format, sometimes also referred to as "king of the hill".

In Scotland, the phrase bear pit is used to describe bars or public houses that are known to have a violent reputation.

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