Polar Bear Spa Days
Posted at 10:24 am September 17, 2008 by JoAnne SimersonHard to believe our summer season has come to an end. So many of you have watched our three beautiful bears play, eat, and sleep away the days at the San Diego Zoo. But what haven’t you seen? Polar Bear Spa days!
As a special enrichment, we prepare mineral salt baths in the pool in the polar bear bedrooms. To make just the right salinity we carry in 400 pounds (180 kilograms) of mineral salt and pour it into the bottom of the pool. Using a combination of a power hose and broom, we mix and swirl the mixture to dissolve the salt crystals. The polar bears, with their great sense of smell, can sniff the salt during the process and eagerly await their chance to do their own dissolve!
As you can imagine, each of our bears has a unique way of enjoying their salt baths. Chinook absolutely luxuriates in her soak. She wades in by the steps and submerges up to her chin, then rests her head on the edge and closes her eyes. Chinook does expect to see us by the pool window with grapes. We hold the grapes to the window and she so very delicately picks off one grape from the cluster at a time with her lips. She then goes back to her soak.
Tatqiq requires a burlap bag with her bath. Our “princess” rolls into the pool at the edge, turns and pulls the burlap in and then completely submerges, rolling in the burlap and then using it as a scrub all over her beautiful face. It’s no wonder she is typically our cleanest bear!
Now if you wouldn’t expect Kalluk to enjoy the bath like our girls, you’re right. He doesn’t seem to get the “soak” part about the mineral bath. He jumps and tumbles into the pool, usually bringing a toy with him, splashes about, greatly annoying his sister, and then hops right out. His joy from the salt comes in being able to suck the salty water off his paws, legs, and even Tatqiq’s shoulder! And then he plunges in again to re-salt. You can hear his joyous slurping throughout the building. He is a very creative bear!
On exhibit, the spa experience continues. Using different oils and spices, we offer an aromatic enrichment, which the bears are apparently enjoying. Chinook’s absolute favorite is a scent called “chamomile Roman,” Kalluk likes the geranium scent, Tatqiq’s favorite scent is paprika, and they all love peppermint! We put the scents on the floor of the exhibit and on the deadwood scattered around. The best is when we have palm fronds, and then it’s an aromatic roll-a-thon. If the palm fronds are fresh, then the beautiful white bears turn yellowish green from the leaves. A good roll in the mulch seems to be the crowning glory of a spa day!
You may also have seen long corrugated tubes floating in the front pool. These are 5- and 10-foot tubes used for irrigation drains. The bears use them as loofah sponges, rubbing them all over. Kalluk did seem to have some disappointment the first day with the tubes, as he was unable to correctly fashion one as head gear! But later we found him curled up on the shelf rock with a 5-foot tube, sound asleep.
With summer’s end, we look forward to our next seasons of sharing fun with our polar bears. We have great hopes for a polar bear “snowfall” in the first week of December!
JoAnne Simerson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
Watch the polar bears daily on Polar Cam…
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September 17th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Thank you for the Polar Bear Spa update! They really have a lot of wonderful enrichments and between the salt baths and the aromatherapy going on, I may have to get in on some of this!! How cool that they like peppermint! My cat could not stand the smell of anything minty, so it is interesting to see how different species react to different scents! Apparently Santa needs to come out with some Polar Bear candy canes!!
September 17th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Are you kidding — sign me up!! A lovely soak, being fed grapes, a little sented oils — my gosh — it sounds amazing. I was expecting to read that you have their bedrooms lit with candles ; ) I love those silly bears … could they be any more adorable! Thank you so much for taking such great care of them. They are so enchanting — I love hearing every little detail of their lives. It’s great to read (and see on the cam) how happy and spoiled they are. But they deserve it — for all the joy they give us. So where do I sign up for a treatment?
September 17th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
What an entertaining, priceless account. I would love to witness a spa day firsthand. When is the next one planned?
Moderator, while this is off the subject, I have not been able to learn if the gorilla baby due in August has been born. I would love an update.
Moderator’s note: We’ll find out and let you know.
September 17th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
JoAnne, I am so jealous, those lucky bears getting a spa day. I would love to just sit and relax and have a good body scrub. It must have been a sight to remember, I just wish you had a video for us folks to enjoy. Keep up your great work making our bears happy and alot cleaner for sure. These three are some spoiled bears.
September 17th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
JoAnne, what a great post! I am a huge fan of the polar bears and love to watch them having a blast in the pool, I always think, what great fun to be a polar bear at SDZ. But a spa day? Wonderful!! You all take such good care of the animals, I was a bit surprised that you do not peel Chinook’s grapes, lol!
Thanks so much for the very entertaining info!
September 17th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
It’s a wonderful thing, being a polar bear at the SDZ. What lucky lucky bears. They must smell gorgeous after their peppermint soak. Trust Kalluk to try and wear one of the tubes! Perhaps you could join the ends together and then he could wear it – a bear version of Julius Caesar!! I think they are fantastic.
September 17th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
You know, I have to ask…… do you really feed Chinook grapes as she is taking her spa ? You knew one of us had to ask ! =) I’d love to have the chance to see a spa day too. Is this somthing the public will ever have the chance to see ? Thanx so much JoAnne for the visuals. =)
September 18th, 2008 at 9:43 am
What a great post! Each of the bears is just so cool! What fun they (and you!) must have!
September 18th, 2008 at 11:24 am
It’s a joy to watch the polar bears, and to see how evidently happy and contented they are at the SDZ. You are all to be commended for creating such a great environment for the bears.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
great up-date and info. on the spa days for the bears! who dreams up all these enchanted ideas for the
lucky bears?? they are so lucky. last week we got to visit the SDZ zoo and finally got to see these beautiful
giants! all three were in the pool area. one was sound asleep way back behind a rock, one was laying be-side the water munching on carrots! she was too lazy to even sit up while eating. funny!! the other one was very busy swimming in the pool and trying to retrieve something that was hidden in an underwater crivice that was driving her to plunge head-first as fast as she could trying to jar it loose I guess. she must have done this 30 or more times before she succeded. it looked like a large white bone with stringy stuff
flowing from it. she put it under her arm pit to hold it tightly and then surfaced the water happily I presume!! such determination on her part and fun to watch! now that I’m back home, I have to settle for watching them on the cam! keep thinking of these great ideas to keep them happy and stimulated.
I wonder if they know how very lucky they are to have such great care and all their needs taken care of!
what is the life-span of polar bears in captivity? I would think they would live longer than in the wild!
again thanks for all the information. I wish I could tell who was who!
September 18th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Thanks for the post and the update on the bears. Wow! I am SO jealous of the bears now, and I wish I were the one given a spa treatment with special enrichment items!!! And scented oil and spices??? I think I am in heaven now!!!
I am glad to see that the bears really enjoyed the special treat. Thanks to all the staff’s hard work and care. They are indeed loved and well cared for by all of you.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:22 am
What fun for everyone! I can just picture the scenes. For those that can be there in person, please go and enjoy it for me.
September 19th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Gosh — I know December is a long ways away — but I’m really looking forward to the snow day. Definitely making a trip down to the SDZ to visit them in person — should be lots of fun for everyone. Thanks for the early notice — now I can note it in my calendar!
September 19th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
What a wonderful story! Spoiled bears, indeed! Keep watching polar cam Nancy (#10) and looking at the polar bear photo’s. Pretty soon, you will learn to tell them apart. It is much easier when they are all on exhibit together, but after a time, you can pretty much tell them apart even if they are alone. Be sure to read their bio’s as well, as you can learn things about them that also help in identifying who is who – like Kalluk’s penchant for wearing things on his head or Chinook rolling in the dirt and looking like a brown bear.
Now, my question for you, JoAnne, is – how do you get rid of all that salt in the bedrooms after spa day is over?
September 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Thank you to whoever monitored the web cam on September 21st. I really enjoyed first seeing one of the females, Chinook I think, rolling around, probably in some scent. Then Kalluk was out in the water trying to get things out of a container. Really had me laughing out loud. They are incredible to watch.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:34 am
Wowwwwwwwwwwww,a spa for Polar Bears. That is just crazy.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:54 am
I know this story has been posted for a while and I must mention how important this fun account is for all to read and smile about. But for me, this site, along with Zoonooz and just about everything produced for us is doing something more. My 15-year-old daughter has become quite sensitive and emotional about the care of animals in zoos, conservation centers, and animal shelters/humane societies. She worries that wild animals living in captivity or household pets kept in cages are destined for an unfortunate existence, culminating in an early or perhaps scheduled death. When I direct her to anything related to the Zoological Society of San Diego, or other zoos that are proud members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, she is heartened by the incredible work and research done to help the future and better understanding of our marvelous creatures. She is desperately worried about dog and cat shelters, etc., and that’s another story. But, I want to thank you for your continued coverage of the educational, funny, inspiring, and even the sadder accounts of life and work at our wonderful zoo.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:18 am
there was a video on cnn that i could not bring myself to view or listen to regarding starving polar bears due to loss of prey due to loss of ice. is this habitat situation pervasive? are there any locations left that provide suitable hunting for them? it breaks my heart. what if anything can be done to preserve suitable habitat for the bears. i suppose rounding them up and bringing them all to san diego is out of the question.
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
Paula #18, I also saw the video and it too broke my heart to know that these beautiful animal are starving and turning to cannibalism. when are we going to realize that something has to be done before it’s to late, and believe me we are close to being to late.
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Paula #18 and Barbara #19, I find myself either walking out the room or changing channel whenever I see the terrible plight of the polar bears. I don’t understand why nothing is being done (not just for the polar bears, but for all wildlife, and humans) to prepare for what is going to be an inevitable situation. If I was one of the ‘experts’ in charge of what happens globally, I would be preparing for it, not trying to stop something that can’t be stopped. We have the technology to prepare for the future. All animals need help. OK, rant over!!
Once again, that pool looks so inviting. I just sit here staring at it, hypnotised.
September 24th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
diana # l7, be happy that your daughter is so sensitive and caring when it comes to animals. my l0-yr old grand-daughter is the same way. she says she wants to be a vet when she grows up and an animal activist. she can’t stand to watch any tv program where an animal is abused, neglected, starving even when they are rescued and taken to an animal hospital!! she cries!! bless their hearts! our girls are loving, caring, and will probably do something with animals some-day! I have found that people who love and care about animals are always GOOD PEOPLE!!!! I do worry about the polar bears starving too. we don’t want these beauties to become endangered or extinct. we have alot of wonderful species that they are breeding
in the zoos so the next generation can enjoy them as we have. we are lucky that people have awakened to the fact of preserving these animals while there is still time to do so!!!!! happy also that bars, for the most part are disappearing from the zoos and replacing them with a more natural environment!!! great!!
September 26th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I am watching two bears resting comfortably right now on the camera. I can’t tell which ones they are, but one of them is definitely enjoying the enrichment item. Life as a polar bear at the SDZ is fun!
September 26th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
What a fun day for the bears! I’m so jealous as I also want these royal treatments too! I wish there’s a video for us to watch.
I enjoy reading the polar bear blog. Thank you for the updates!
September 27th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Sweet, sweet closeups of a very dirty bear taking a nap (Chinook???) and rubbing themselves into the dirt and mulch of the bed! I just want to kiss them and snuggle up! You can see her nose sniffing, her white teeth, her washing her paws, her claws!! What a beautiful bear! No wonder we are all in love with polar bears!!
September 29th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Moderator, have you learned if the baby gorilla due in August was born? See #3.
Moderator’s Note: The newest member of our gorilla troop was born at the Zoo on September 3, 2008. Read about it http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/gorilla-born-at-the-san-diego-zoo/” >here
September 30th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I just saw a video on BBC News about hearing tests for polar bears. Even though the research was conducted at the Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute, I do recall reading some past blogs about doing the very similar thing here at SDZ. Very interesting article and video if anyone is interested reading up on it.
www dot bbc dot co dot uk forward-slash 2 forward-slash hi forward-slash americas forward-slash 7638172.htm
September 30th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hee hee! Another closeup of Chinook with a white face and a very dirty body (thus she must be in heaven!) taking a nap on a palm! Big yawn with very white teeth!! Now I am yawning! Move over Chinook! I want to roll in the mulch/dirt, too! I love these closeups! For someone who is only a cam watcher it really gives me the opportunity to see their enourmous paw, their gentle eyes, and even watch their tummies rise and fall as they sleep! Beautiful and serene!
October 1st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Debi — I saw the same close-ups yesteday as well — and I just don’t care how dirty they look, how big their paws (and claws) are, or how sharp their teeth look — I just want to cuddle up next to them too!! I bet they would be fine with that — don’t you think?
October 1st, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Hey, Debi and Cheryl, even when you are next to them, divided only by the glass, they look incredibly cuddly. And, standing a few feet away from Chinook in her wheeley crate I wanted to give her a hug! I bet they’re lovely and warm on a cold night.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Yaah — I was wondering when the Polarcam page would get the ” makeover” — and it has — and it’s beautiful. Well done! Now I’m going to explore the rest of the page!
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Aah — the ” Meet the Polar Bears” page is so charming — their descriptions are so sweet — and the Photo Gallery is breathtaking — the photos are so beautiful they brought tears to my eyes. Really nicely done — thank you so much!
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I LOVE the new polar bear page!!! Viewing through the photo gallery was such a joy. I love these close-up shots of the bears, and the play interactions of the three-some is just precious! Thanks for updating the page just like SDZ has done with the panda page.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I was also wondering and hoping that the Polars would get their page done to match the Pandas. Turned on this morning and now I’m a happy bunny!! Fantastic, love it. Thank you. The opening page photo is beautiful. Off to look at the photo gallery now.
October 4th, 2008 at 12:08 am
The pictures are stunning. Took my breath away. It’s as if you’re there with them.
October 4th, 2008 at 8:30 am
What a pleasant surprise
The Polar Bear Plunge redesign is wonderful! The Photo Gallery and the individual accounts of each bear are absolutely awesome. Kudos to all involved.
October 6th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Sorry, this is a bit off topic. Does anyone know if Kelly has had her baby?
I’ve been spending the weekend just looking at the Polar pictures. They are so magic!!
Moderator’s note: Kelly and baby are doing fine!
October 6th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I love the new look! When you go into meet the bears, are the pictures right, for Chinook it looks like the picture of tatqiq from the pictures on the old site. They are all beatiful bears and I love watching them!!
October 6th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I think late afternoon nap time is quickly becoming my favorite time to watch the Polar Cam. Right now, a very drowsy bear is cuddle up with a bunch of tangled branches. Every now and then there is a stretch and a yawn — but for the most part — just the sweet face of a very contented bear and it’s branches. I’m feeling a little sleepy now…
October 7th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Thank you Moderator, for the info on Kelly. Congratulations Kelly, enjoy your baby.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Congratulations, Kelly, for you and your baby!!!! Such fun! Yesterday evening I noticed a close up of some blankies! Was this inside or out in the plunge? Do they like to nest in soft blanket materials? If the bear had been there, it has walked away. But the ” nest” look so comfy and loved! As did the leftover bone!
Moderator’s note: The soft ” blanket” is actually made of donated burlap coffee bags!
October 9th, 2008 at 11:36 am
New page is a lovely design, but hate that pea green. It reminds me of slime.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Just watched a bear (Chinook?) moving around branches and some bedding to make a nest, and now she is lying down. Is this picture inside the bedroom section or is this outside on the exhibit? She (?) seems to be snuggled down next to a door, which she was poking and growling at like she wanted in or out!
Moderator’s note: JoAnne tells us that the bear you saw making a nest was Kalluk!
October 13th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Thanks for this wonderful update on Kalluk, Tatqiq and Chinook! I watch them on the cam everyday and love to keep up with their antics. I wish I could have seen it. Would it be possible to have a cam in their night quarters? I could understand if this isn’t possible as your bears seem to be very creative with their enrichment and may take the liberty to ” play” with a cam if installed . I saw Kalluk a year ago and he’s huge! I bet he stands almost 10 feet tall on his hind legs!
How tall are the bears anyway?
November 22nd, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Wow the polar bears get more attention and care than me. i haven’t gone to a spa.