Whatever people think of Zoocheck can be their own opinion, but there is a very interesting 26-page report all about polar bears in Mexican zoos on the link below. It makes for some intriguing reading and it was published this year so it is updated with recent information. There are numerous photos as well, including one of a keeper in with an elderly polar bear!
Thank you, snow leopard for the interesting report. Having seen all 4 polar bears and their enclousures in Mexico it is accurate, though some information seems to be missing, perhaps because the zoo directors did not wish to give all the information to a foriegn organization. They must only answer to Profepa and Semarnat by mexican law. For example, the 3 polar bears that Chapultepec had were from Churchhill, canada and the surving old female bear is named nanooka. The other 2 bears have died. There are staff at Chapultepec who have studied at the university where i teach and it was not hard to get this info for me and some of it may be on the internet in spanish.
Well anyway, at this moment Yupik may actually have the best living condition of the 4 bears concerned. This may have been a result of international pressure. Nanooka is the elderly bear in the report and she was a canadian diplomatic gift, there is a sign that says so next to her exhibit. It should be clear that polar bears really do not belong in Mexican zoos and such space and resources should go to endangered mexican species.
What the report did not state is that canada and alaska should never again give away bears to latin american zoos. There are polar bears in Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile, also in subpar exhibits. So hopefully the time of polar bear gift diplomacy is over.
carlos, when the current polar bears die do you think that will be the end of polar bears in Mexican zoos? Are there any native Mexican species that you think would work well in this exhibit? Sea lions maybe?
david,
yes i hope that the current polar bears are the last ones in Mexico, Yupik is the youngest and Nanooka the oldest. I have not seen nanooka at chapultepec for some time now, come to think of it. California sea lions or guadalupe fur seals could fit well in this exhibit.
