Comments on: Sugar Bears! http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:40:24 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: kasie http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-467559 kasie Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:52:57 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-467559 do bears eat rocks? do bears eat rocks?

]]> By: Debi in MA http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-455115 Debi in MA Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:03 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-455115 Awww.....Drats! There is someone moving the cam, taking a peek at the various bears laying around the exhibit, but now focused back in on the water area, where no one presently is in. I just can't win, today! Well, good excuse to take my own bear nap, for the night! They all looked exhausted. There must have been some spendid playtime today! Awww…..Drats! There is someone moving the cam, taking a peek at the various bears laying around the exhibit, but now focused back in on the water area, where no one presently is in. I just can’t win, today! Well, good excuse to take my own bear nap, for the night! They all looked exhausted. There must have been some spendid playtime today!

]]> By: Cheryl http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454817 Cheryl Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:20:41 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454817 Watching 2 of the bears splashing about in the pool just now makes me anxious for the long weekend... happy 4th everyone!! Watching 2 of the bears splashing about in the pool just now makes me anxious for the long weekend… happy 4th everyone!!

]]> By: Dianne in Texas http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454617 Dianne in Texas Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:21:52 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454617 JoAnne, thanks for your response to the water quality procedures. It is obviously a full-time job to do all the required steps for our bears' health, water quality being just one issue. You guys never cease to amaze me. I chuckle when I think, as a child, I never considered everything involved in being a zoo-keeper. That's a misnomer. I should say, 'animal curator'. Thank you all for your dedication and expertise. JoAnne, thanks for your response to the water quality procedures. It is obviously a full-time job to do all the required steps for our bears’ health, water quality being just one issue. You guys never cease to amaze me. I chuckle when I think, as a child, I never considered everything involved in being a zoo-keeper. That’s a misnomer. I should say, ‘animal curator’. Thank you all for your dedication and expertise.

]]> By: Susan (UK) http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454607 Susan (UK) Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:26:23 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454607 The purple ball is a definite favourite. The ball is on the rock table with one of the bears resting their chin on it. I waited a while and, sure enough, the ball is now being pushed under the water and played with. I like the chin on the ball thing - is this a polar bear deep in thought? The purple ball is a definite favourite. The ball is on the rock table with one of the bears resting their chin on it. I waited a while and, sure enough, the ball is now being pushed under the water and played with. I like the chin on the ball thing – is this a polar bear deep in thought?

]]> By: Lisa http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454587 Lisa Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:22:13 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454587 12:21 pm ET Someone is enjoying a back rub. Front paws on the stone table and rubbing up and down on the other part. Looks like it feels pretty good. :) 12:21 pm ET Someone is enjoying a back rub. Front paws on the stone table and rubbing up and down on the other part. Looks like it feels pretty good. :)

]]> By: Margaret http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454439 Margaret Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:07:00 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454439 Thanks for the updates everyone. The best times to check in, the beds that Chinook is making, that mating season is over and Chinook is starting to enjoy her alone time, that Tatqiq and Kalluk are spending more time together playing again, etc. Thanks for the updates everyone. The best times to check in, the beds that Chinook is making, that mating season is over and Chinook is starting to enjoy her alone time, that Tatqiq and Kalluk are spending more time together playing again, etc.

]]> By: Debi in MA http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454437 Debi in MA Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:49:21 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454437 One of the bears just did a dive with the bone and put it on the stone shelf, turned around, dived back in the water and did the polar paddle back to the mainland! I would love to know what is going on in their heads! Apparently this was very important to do! One of the bears just did a dive with the bone and put it on the stone shelf, turned around, dived back in the water and did the polar paddle back to the mainland! I would love to know what is going on in their heads! Apparently this was very important to do!

]]> By: Chari Mercier http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454238 Chari Mercier Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:38:38 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454238 Hi! Just got on the polar bear cam and saw a very nice close up of one of the polar bears on the big rock surrounded by carrots and a red ball! Is that Chinook? I think she's the bear that loves to lay down on her food! Hope someone can recognize this polar bear and let me know who that was! This was at 12:30pm EDT (9:30am PDT) today. The bear looked beautiful, clean, and white, and was just relaxing. Great closeup, cam people! Chari Mercier :) St. Pete, FL <em> Moderator's note: Keepers tell us that was probably Tatqiq.</em> Hi! Just got on the polar bear cam and saw a very nice close up of one of the polar bears on the big rock surrounded by carrots and a red ball! Is that Chinook? I think she’s the bear that loves to lay down on her food! Hope someone can recognize this polar bear and let me know who that was! This was at 12:30pm EDT (9:30am PDT) today. The bear looked beautiful, clean, and white, and was just relaxing. Great closeup, cam people!
Chari Mercier :)
St. Pete, FL

Moderator’s note: Keepers tell us that was probably Tatqiq.

]]> By: Dianne in Texas http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2009/05/20/sugar-bears/comment-page-2/#comment-454154 Dianne in Texas Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:02:18 +0000 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/?p=4437#comment-454154 I learn something new every week! I noticed a foamy substance on top of the water in the polar bear habitat at Memphis Zoo. (This was early morning.) I emailed an inquiry, and got the reply yesterday. Once a week, they add a "clarifier", which causes "suspended particles in the water to coagulate", thus making a foamy substance and cleaning the water. Fascinating! I do wonder at times how this procedure is done (cleaning habitat water) at SDZ. Do you use the same procedure to clean the 'Plunge's' water? I've never noticed any type of floating substance in your water, but I have seen staff out early, using nets (?) to skim the top of the water. I don't know how warm it is in Southern California, but I sincerely hope you're not as hot as we are in Texas! It's been triple-digits all week, and it's early, even for Texas. <em>JoAnne responds: The San Diego Zoo has a team that takes care of the water quality in all of our exhibits. The Plunge water goes through the filtration once every hour, which includes going through a biofilter to help remove more particulate; vacuuming, netting, and scrubbing of the pool walls, floor, and surface occurs on a minimum of three times a week, more if needed. Water is tested every week for quality and every day for pH.</em> I learn something new every week! I noticed a foamy substance on top of the water in the polar bear habitat at Memphis Zoo. (This was early morning.) I emailed an inquiry, and got the reply yesterday. Once a week, they add a “clarifier”, which causes “suspended particles in the water to coagulate”, thus making a foamy substance and cleaning the water. Fascinating! I do wonder at times how this procedure is done (cleaning habitat water) at SDZ. Do you use the same procedure to clean the ‘Plunge’s’ water? I’ve never noticed any type of floating substance in your water, but I have seen staff out early, using nets (?) to skim the top of the water.

I don’t know how warm it is in Southern California, but I sincerely hope you’re not as hot as we are in Texas! It’s been triple-digits all week, and it’s early, even for Texas.

JoAnne responds: The San Diego Zoo has a team that takes care of the water quality in all of our exhibits. The Plunge water goes through the filtration once every hour, which includes going through a biofilter to help remove more particulate; vacuuming, netting, and scrubbing of the pool walls, floor, and surface occurs on a minimum of three times a week, more if needed. Water is tested every week for quality and every day for pH.

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