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FAQ's |
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The Zoo hopes that as you enjoy these delightful polar bear
cubs in the Arctic Encounter®, you’ll
remember that polar bears in the wild are facing some very
serious threats. Learn
more about the Zoo’s conservation efforts, as well
as steps you can take to help polar bears. |
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Photos of our adorable
cubs. |
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Fascinating facts
about polar bears. |
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The
Toledo Zoo established a milestone in polar bear preservation as
we welcomed three adorable cubs in late November 2006! 11-year-old
Nan gave birth to one cub, Nikita, on November 21, while 8-year-old
Crystal followed suit with two cubs, Aurora and Anana, on November
25.
Female
polar bears enter special dens each fall, where they stay until
spring time. During that time they don’t eat or drink anything—they
live solely off the fat stored in their bodies. Here at The Toledo
Zoo we were able to monitor their entire progress through video
cameras mounted in their dens. Once the cubs were born, Zoo staff
members went to great lengths to minimize any disruption near the
Arctic Encounter®. Keepers switched from metal to plastic buckets
to keep noise levels down during this crucial time in the baby polar
bear’s lives, and cleaning schedules were altered to minimize
disruptions.
Although
the birth of these cubs was tremendously exciting, there was still
reason to be extremely cautious. Cub mortality among polar bears
is around 50%, even in zoo settings (in certain wild populations
cub mortality is as high as 63%). Nan and Crystal, though, proved
to have excellent maternal instincts, all the more impressive considering
that both of them were first-time mothers.
Once
the bears were ready to leave their dens, Zoo staff began introducing
them to their new habitat in our Arctic Encounter®.
Now the growing cubs are enjoying the exhibit and would love for
you to come see them romp and play and swim!
Learn
more
Learn
more about our Arctic Encounter® Exhibit
Major
Sponsor:
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