![]() Other popular animals to see here include the giraffes at the Red Rocks, sea lions at Lakeside Crossing, and elephants at River’s Edge. The zoo’s lone polar bear, Kali (an adult male) makes his appearance every 9 AM at his habitat at McDonnell Polar Bear Point. It’s also one of the few free zoos in the country. Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri is an award-winning leader in animal management as well as conservation projects. Things to do nearby: Right within the zoo complex are Zoombezi Bay, a waterpark, and Rides at Adventure Cove, an amusement park.Tickets: $24.99 per head for adults 10 years old and older discounts for kids aged 3 to 9 years and seniors children under 3 get in free.Address: 4850 W Powell Rd, Powell, OH 43065 | 61.While you’re here, pop into the Asia Quest exhibit to see the red pandas and the Australia & The Islands exhibit to see the koalas. It is hoped that this process will produce new bear cubs without having to move bears to different facilities to ensure genetic diversity. In March 2022, both Anana and Aurora were artificially inseminated, a relatively new reproductive technology for polar bears. Guests can view the polar bears from aboveground (behind a chain-link fence), as well as from their pool while they’re swimming (via an acrylic tunnel and glass viewing area). Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Powell, Ohio)Ĭolumbus Zoo is the biggest zoo in the country and is consistently included in lists of the best zoos in the US.Ĭolumbus Zoo’s polar bears Anana and Aurora (both adult females) are the stars of the award-winning Polar Frontier Exhibit. RELATED How to Visit All 50 States in 12 Trips: Epic US Road Trip Best Zoos in the US With Polar Bears 1. So if you’re planning to go to a zoo to see polar bears, there’s no better time than now! Let’s get through the list so you can choose the right one for you. Now that it’s illegal, Alaska is the only state from where zoos on the mainland can take in polar bears, but they’re under the care of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which prefers to take care of rescued polar bears right there in Alaska. ![]() In the past, bringing in polar bears rescued in Canada, or bears born in Europe or Russia used to be common. They can’t be boxed in by opaque walls they need to be able to have a panoramic view.Īs you can imagine, building an enclosure with all of these can be expensive to build and maintain.Īnother reason why there are so few polar bears in zoos is that it is now illegal to import polar bears from other countries. The entire area needs to be kept cold-the maximum temperature they can tolerate is 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius). It’s also simpler for scientists to study polar bears in captivity as you can imagine, their harsh, unforgiving habitat makes it difficult and expensive for humans to reach.īut not many US zoos have polar bears, mainly because building enclosures that are as close as possible to their natural habitat is costly, both financially and in terms of manpower.įor instance, a polar bear enclosure needs to have, at the minimum, at least 1 acre of open space per bear and large, deep, non-chlorinated saltwater pools. Why Are There Few Polar Bears in US Zoos?īecause of their “vulnerable” status, many zoos in the US and worldwide are currently taking care of polar bears, hoping to educate the public on climate change by putting a face on it. The greatest threats to their population are climate change (higher temperatures mean less sea ice) and overhunting. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the red panda as “Vulnerable,” with a population of around 26,000 in the wild. Their body fat also provides buoyancy, enabling them to swim long distances to hunt seals, their preferred food. They have large amounts of fat reserves that they can live off during the summer and early autumn when sea ice is unavailable. The polar bear is a species of bear that thrives mainly on the sea ice in the Arctic Circle and has plenty of biological adaptations to the cold and snow.įor instance, their fur is white (though their skin underneath is black) to blend in with the snow. ![]() ![]() But you’re in luck today you’ll learn about US zoos with polar bears that you’ll want to visit soon! Facts About Polar Bearsīefore we jump headfirst into the list, let’s get to know polar bears for a little bit. In addition, their habitat is being threatened by climate change. Unless you live in this area, it’s rare to encounter them in the wild. Polar bears are fascinating creatures that live on the Arctic Circle. ![]()
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