The other half of this exhibit consists of an area of dirt and grass. Polar bears actually do pretty well in Tucson since the air is so dry, just like the arctic. Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, AZ. 2003
The other half of this exhibit consists of an area of dirt and grass. Polar bears actually do pretty well in Tucson since the air is so dry, just like the arctic. Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, AZ. 2003
I remember thinking that the Polar Bears at Reid Park Zoo were the whitest bears I had ever seen anywhere in the world. There was no algal growth at all in the fur, probably because the dryness and the heat dries the fur so thoroughly and so quickly the alga never has a chance to get established.
Hix is 100% correct. Our female (we do have a male and female) arrived from Rhode Island a couple years ago with a skin condition. Just a few months in the dry desert air and she was healed.
I will try to take an overview photo of both halves of the exhibit when I am there next (in about a week). The two sides are connected by their indoor quarters, which they have 24 hour access to, so sometimes they are not visible if they choose to be insides. As a general rule, the female likes to be inside and the male likes to be in the pool side.
