The article says they are evaluating their next steps for polar bears, so they may possibly come back.
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Maryland Zoo News 2021
- Thread starter red river hog
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That's one way to read it. Although most people on here will read that as bureaucratic talk, in regards to the zoo not wanting to admit its done with polar bears for at least a few years. Probably longer.
Polar bear fan
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In a Gideon on the zoo’s YouTube page Mike McClure the curator says that “we do not expect to have polar bears for the foreseeable future. But never say never”. It sounds like the zoo knew the girls were needed elsewhere and that the current facility could not house these girls permanently. Add in the grizzly sisters needing space and a small population of polar bears, I would say that the zoo just ran out of luck with this one. This section has lost polar bears, ravens and arctic foxes in the last year. This leaves polar bear watch with only an eagle and two grizzlies. Two species.
Denver Zoo said the same thing a few years ago.
Polar bear fan
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I really hope there’s some huge baby boom this year and Baltimore can bring the species back in a timely fashion.
Is the Maryland Zoo polar bear exhibit out of date and not suitable for bears in the long term? I have no sense of the quality of the exhibit compared to modern polar bear exhibits.
Don't think it's really their call. The last bears they outright owned have since passed (Magnet and Alaska).
Polar bear fan
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Compared to those of Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Alaska it is superior. It has lots of grass, dirt, varied terrain, two pools, and maternity dens. However it is smaller than can hold four or five adult bears. For one or two it is a nice exhibit, but it simply doesn’t compare to Detroit, San Diego, or Columbus. And as you may know a lot of money has been used for renovation lately so a new exhibit would likely take years of funding. So yes, it is a good exhibit, four bears was not going to work out in the long run though.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
If only their cub born in 2007 had survived. Who knows where we’d be now. And Anoki’s birth control didn’t help cubs come along either.
No, I wouldn't say that. It was built in 2005, so not as grand as most of the newer exhibits being built today. The exhibit certainly gives the bears more land to water ratio and moved them out of an antiquated exhibit long before larger zoos followed suit. The exhibit is also unique with the addition on a tundra buggy separating the two yards. Overall, the viewing can be difficult in the water sometimes, but I'd still say a good exhibit overall in my opinion. Before the recent lack of other species in the area, the zoo had a good arctic theme with ravens, snowy owls, and arctic foxes. There seems to be some renewed interest in this zoo from community members, so I'll let others chime in as well with other opinions.
I didn’t know they had a cub in 2007, who were the parents?
Polar bear fan
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A then 17 year old first time dad, Magnet, and 22 year old first time mom, Alaska. Sadly she was stillborn and neither parent had any other cubs after her.
That’s so sad. That cub would’ve been very valuable for the population. Also it’s interesting to note that the mother had her first cub at such an old age, maybe that was why the cub was stillborn.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
I think you are right, it is likely that the combination of her age and being a first timer is why the cub was stillborn.
Thanks. My impression was that this exhibit was fairly modern and had really cool theming. Given the relative paucity of exhibits at this zoo relative to its size, what do you see as the future of the soon to be ex-polar bear complex? Will they keep it as a grizzly bear exhibit and bring in other species to complement them? (Although obviously ravens, snowy owls, and foxes would work with grizzlies also).
I didn't know anything about individual animals back then but I do remember Magnet from his inclusion in Zoo Tycoon! He won a contest out of 11 other zoo animals to be added to the game, and he got his own unique sprite and animation featuring his favorite enrichment item, a red ball
Microsoft gifted the Maryland Zoo $20,000 to go towards improvements for the aging polar bear habitat and even made Magnet an honorary Microsoft employee!I never knew that Magnet had produced a cub, even though it unfortunately was not successful. Thank you for sharing!
I'm not sure at all about any plans. I think they're still supposed to exhibit ravens and probably have a desire to exhibit arctic fox again, but no snowy owls anymore. They used to have a pair behind the scenes that were going to be exhibited, but the extra foot traffic due to Penguin Coast changed that plan due to their sensitive and shy nature. I remember years ago that there were long term plans to build a snow leopard exhibit in the empty grassy hill, but doubt that is still the plan. I'm sure they'll announce some Polar Bear Watch exhibit modifications when the pair leaves - including a name change.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
Ofc! Thank you for that information as well. I didn’t know Magnet was the world’s most successful businessbear!I didn't know anything about individual animals back then but I do remember Magnet from his inclusion in Zoo Tycoon! He won a contest out of 11 other zoo animals to be added to the game, and he got his own unique sprite and animation featuring his favorite enrichment item, a red ball
I never knew that Magnet had produced a cub, even though it unfortunately was not successful. Thank you for sharing!
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
A name change would be crushing but I agree. Also i don’t know if it’s just me, but I haven’t seen a Raven in almost two years. Plus the old eagle exhibit has been empty for months and the fox exhibit is now a subpar eagle home. Does anyone have any idea what the plan is? I’m sure there’s something in the works with so much inactivity lately. Especially as I’ve been told by keepers that they have a number of ravens behind the scenes and no replacement was even suggested by the zoo for the fox.