From  a 1901 edition of the Philadelphia Press:

“Whiskers have been tabooed at the Zoo and a crusade against them will shortly be started. Within a few days the keepers will trim the bears’ mustaches, which have grown very long and annoy the beasts. The trimming of the bears’ whiskers will require several days, and is a dangerous operation. Each bear has to be cornered and placed in a cage so small that it is unable to move. The objectionable whiskers are then trimmed with long shears. The position of Zoo barber is not much sought after.”