|
 The
Arctic Encounter® features underwater
viewing of polar bears, gray seals and harbor seals, as well as
an extensive interpretive area about life at the "top of the
world."
The
polar bear exhibit in the Arctic Encounter® features a land
area of 6,000 square feet with a 1,600 square foot (12' deep) pool.
The harbor and grey seals enjoy a 4,000-square-foot land exhibit
and a 3,000-square-foot (8-12' deep) pool that holds 210,000 gallons
of chilled salt water. The polar bear exhibit also features a freshwater
stream that is periodically filled with fish. There are seven saltwater
streams and two  waterfalls
in the exhibits, as well as many other natural features designed
with the animal’s well-being in mind.
The interactive area features a "kids’ cave," which
simulates a polar bear den with nose-to-nose viewing for bears and
visitors, and a temperature gauge for comparing indoor/outdoor temperatures.
Visitors are also able to test their survival skills on an imaginary
journey through the perilous Arctic.
The
Arctic Encounter® also includes several off-exhibit areas for
its residents, such as a "dig yard" (2,500 square feet
of natural substrate for the bears to play in), a maternity den,
a veterinary facility, a keeper's kitchen, and off-exhibit living.
EXHIBIT
AREAS:
| 1. |
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Interpretive
Building
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The
Zoo's design team created an interactive exhibit space where
you can find answers to questions such as: |
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- Are
there two North poles?
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How do animals stay warm in the Arctic?
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Why do Arctic trees look the way they do?
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| 2. |
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Underwater
Viewing
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Zoo
visitors can put their hands on the 2.75-inch-thick glass
and feel the chilled water while watching polar bears dog-paddle
and seals swim somersaults!
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| 3. |
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Polar
Bear Land Area
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The
polar bear's home has over 6,000 square feet of artificial
rock and ice! |
| 4. |
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Polar
Bear Pool
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This
1,600-square-foot pool is 12 feet deep and holds 90,000 gallons
of water, which is chilled to 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit.
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| 5. |
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Seal
Land Area
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Seals
do not require a lot of room to run, but we still provide
over 4,000 square feet of land space, which the polar bears
enjoy when the Zoo swaps their living space with the seals.
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| 6. |
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Seal
Pool
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This
3,000-square-foot pool is 8-12
feet deep and holds 210,000 gallons of chilled salt water.
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| 7. |
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Fishing
Stream
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A
freshwater stream will be sporadically stocked with fish,
which will provide
the polar bears with opportunities to exercise their hunting
skills. There are also seven saltwater streams and two
waterfalls in the exhibits.
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| 8. |
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Kid's
Cave
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Brave
little visitors can walk into this simulated polar bear den
with nose-to-nose viewing from inside. Visitors will
be able to compare the indoor temperature in the polar bear's
cave to the outside temperature.
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| 9. |
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Bear's
Cave
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Air-conditioned
and inviting! This cave offers a cool place in the summer
where bears can escape the heat. The bear's view looks
directly into the kid's cave!
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| 10. |
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Arctic
Survival Course
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Zoo
visitors can test their survival skills on an imaginary journey
through the perilous Arctic. Would you know how to survive
if YOU were LOST IN THE ARCTIC?
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| 11. |
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Walk
Across the "Permafrost"
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- Why
don't Arctic homes have basements?
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What grows in the Arctic?
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Find out as your shoes squish into simulated arctic soil!
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| 12. |
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Arctic
Gardens
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Keep
your eyes open, plant lovers! Visitors will find plant life
native to the harsh Arctic region. Additional landscape elements
have been added to resemble tree lines in the taiga (sub-Arctic
forests) and blooms in the low-lying tundra (treeless plains
of the Arctic)
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