Grounds Improvement Projects at the Habitat are Underway

You may have noticed some recent changes around the Bear Habitat. We are excited to announce that early stages of grounds improvements have begun around the existing home of Indy and Belle. These improvements are being funded by generous Baylor donors who caught a vision for a memorial to the bears that have called Baylor home for more than 100 years, a new education pavilion, seating, updated landscaping, new technology, and improvements to some operational infrastructure.

The project is slated to be completed in early 2027. The construction will not impact the interior of the habitat, but over the next few months, there will be times when Indy and Belle will stay in their off-campus facility, particularly on days when construction will be loud, their environment may be dangerous or there are obstructions to critical safety routes. Our goal, and the goal of our partners in Baylor Facilities who are overseeing construction, is to have the bears on campus whenever possible – especially during big campus events like Family Weekend and Homecoming. (And don’t worry, you can still keep up with the antics of Indy and Belle on the Bear Habitat social media channels!)

We appreciate your patience as we make these important updates that will help us provide world-class care to our bears and further the Bear Habitat’s commitments to stewardship, education, and conservation.