The ABB isn’t the American icon like the grizzly, but for where I live in the US they are an incredibly common animal in the wild and in zoos. The grizzly is usually in much larger zoos, while the ABB can fit the vibe as a bear for medium and small zoos. Doesn’t need as much space as the grizzly, also less dangerous!
The American ABCs are usually things like the grizzly, wolves, bald eagles, alligators, moose, and of course the bison. The ABB falls outside of that just by a hair though. If Planet Zoo had more stock in a management/ upgrades system it would be like you can unlock the ABB for your small zoo before you become a big zoo and unlock the grizzly. Not that I find the grizzly to be an upgrade, but I think it’s a fair comparison.