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Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Polar bear
Polar bear Polar bear Polar bear Polar bear Polar bear

Personal Information
The Seneca Park Zoo is home to two polar bears. Our male, Zero, was born at the Milwaukee Zoo in 1989 and joined us in February of 2010. Aurora, our resident female, was also born in 1989. She and her former mate Yukon (who died in 2008) had four cubs together. Aurora is a very intelligent bear. She loves to play in the water with ice blocks and new enrichment items the keepers give her. Carrots are one of her favorite treats.

Status in the Wild
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status: Vulnerable. The IUCN lists global warming as the most significant threat to the polar bear, as melting of its sea ice habitat reduces its ability to find sufficient food. The Seneca Park Zoo is part of the Species Survival Plan for the polar bear.

Habitat
Found on sea coasts, islands, ice floes and in open water in Arctic regions including the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia.

Diet

The polar bear eats ringed and bearded seals, whale carcasses, caribou, rodents, sea birds, fish, eggs, berries, and unfortunately, human garbage.

  • A male polar bear can be up to 11-feet-tall and weigh up to 1,400 pounds. The females weigh between 660 to 770 pounds.
  • Hairs on a polar bear reflect light, giving polar bears a white coloration. But, the truth is, a polar bear’s hair is translucent.
  • The large paws on a polar bear act as snowshoes, spreading out the polar bear’s weight and adding extra gripping ability.
  • A polar bear has blubber up to 4-inches thick.
  • A new born polar bear cub weighs about 1 pound.