Polar bears are a double jeopardy species; not only are populations at risk in the wild due to declining sea-ice, individuals are at risk of compromised welfare in captivity as a result of their wide-ranging ecology. The Polar Bear Refuge aims to advance our understanding of both of these issues to help identify actionable solutions in the wild and in captive settings. Operating at the interface between conservation, animal welfare and public engagement, our aim is to address the needs of individual bears that cannot be returned to the wild, leverage that opportunity to support efforts to conserve their relatives in the wild, and inform communities about the issues impacting this sensitive species.