Polar Bears: What IS Going On?
Posted at 6:46 am October 15, 2009 by JoAnne Simerson
Tatqiq explores the new yard.
Yes, all is complete inside for Chinook to remove herself whenever she wants. Every day our girl lets us know how she is doing. Mostly she is content hanging out with her keeper in the bedroom area while we work. But sometimes she still wants to go out to the yard or the exhibit to enjoy a quick soak and rub and then come back inside. Yes, she is still very cooperative for ultrasounds each week. And we’ve not yet been able to detect a pregnancy. So keep your fingers crossed! Remember: with the delayed implantation and length of gestation, we may not see cubs until next year if we count from the last day of breeding. Oh, a long wait may be ahead!
So far, Chinook isn’t showing any interest in spending time in her den. We built it in one of her favorite sleeping areas. It is completely covered so no light comes in except through the doorway. We have a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature so it stays comfortable for her. The floor is made of recycled plastic and is raised up just enough to allow for any moisture to travel beneath and into a drain. Polar bear cubs have no ability to thermo-regulate at first, so it necessary to protect them from cold but still keep the den cool for Mom.
Chinook is still making beautiful beds for sleeping. Her preference has always been Bermuda hay, but lately she is choosing pine needles we collect from around the area. Chinook is from the western Hudson Bay population of polar bears; this means the den she was born in was first dug in frozen peat with tree roots as the roof support. Her mother would then have dug a second chamber into the snow after it drifted into a deep pile outside the earthen den. Chinook’s den is built adjacent to another bedroom we have darkened, and she could use it as a second chamber. Right now, though, she prefers to sleep in another area of the building. Oh, what will our girl choose?
What happened when we first gave the bears access to the new management yard? Chinook went out when her keeper was out by the exhibit and went back in when her keeper went inside. An interesting behavior for our independent girl! Kalluk only stuck his head out and was more interested in his kiddie pool inside, but Tatqiq became queen of the hill! She explored and rubbed on the bushes and made great muddy paw prints from the pool. We give Chinook access to the yard every day. You may sometimes be able to see her in the yard from the Polar Cam. She looks absolutely beautiful with the trees and bushes alongside.
Kalluk and Tatqiq are keeping themselves well occupied out front. Tatqiq is filling the “dirty” bear role for Chinook. This is not a role that is unfamiliar to her. When she was a cub, she would get so brown that guests would sometimes ask, “At what age do polar bears turn white?” And Kalluk has commandeered all the kiddie pools. He has used them well. We have only one left that can be recognized by any original shape! We’ll have to wait until next summer to get new ones. Until then, both are now enjoying sleeping in the mulch piles and sandy beach area of the exhibit and making pillows from the palm wraps and ginger branches our horticulture department provides.
JoAnne Simerson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
We now have video of one of Chinook’s ultrasound procedures.
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October 15th, 2009 at 7:34 am
The new area is beautiful! I saw a lone bear the other day and figured that it was Chinook as it couldn’t get to the others. And yes she looks absolutely gorgeous with the new trees and bushes. Great job!!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Thank you, Joanne, for the update. I misidentified Tatqiq the other day. I posted a comment on one of the panda blogs in which I mentioned as an aside that Chinook was particularly filthy that day. Apparently it was Tatqiq. She was sleeping and I couldn’t see the “double chin” by which I identify Chinook nowadays. Mea culpa – my face is red. I will be visiting the zoo in December and can’t wait to see the bears (like any true polar cam aficianado, I think of them as MY bears!) and the new, improved Plunge area.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:33 am
What a beautiful picture of Tatqiq and what an information-packed update! Thank you, JoAnne! It’s endearing that Chinook likes the company of her keeper and shows how much she trusts the humans that care for her.
What would be considered a comfortable temperature for a polar bear den? I’m curious whether the desired temperature is colder or warmer than I would imagine.
Chinook’s pine needle bed must smell very fragrant. Are polar bears similar to giant pandas when it comes to scent-anointing and having an affinity for certain scents? If so, I wonder if the preferred scent might change as hormones change during a possible pregnancy? (Pregnant women are often repulsed by scents and foods that they might normally enjoy when not pregnant.)
Thank you for keeping us informed as we wait and watch for signs from beautiful Chinook.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Thanks, JoAnne. It must be a frustrating wait to confirm that pregnancy, when there’s delayed implantation. Great to know Chinook is a patient patient at the Bear Ultrasound Clinic.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Thanks for the detailed update, JoAnne. It is getting very exciting, although we must brace ourselves for a potentially long wait. Glad to hear the Chinook has bonded so well with her keeper, which helps when it comes to husbandry like ultrasounds, and potentially needing to help with her cubs.
The new area looks great, and I am glad Tatqiq could also enjoy it. Perhaps she was dreaming of having her own area someday. Would it bother Chinook to have the scent of Tatqiq or Kalluk in “her” area?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:14 am
I so enjoyed reading this, JoAnne. It’s great to hear how the bears are doing after all this time. Poor Kalluk, with only beaten up old kiddie pools to play with. Put some on the next wishlist – I’ll buy a few for him. If I lived over there I’d bring some to the Zoo for him.
Melissa, the Polar Bears certainly do enjoy scents. I’ve forgotten which bear likes what but they all have their favourite and love it when they get a ’spa day’ with their favourite scents.
‘Hugs’ to all the bears. Love them.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Oh my. Patience is not one of my virtues — although I have gotten a little better with age. Guess Bai’s chubby cubby will have to suffice while we continue to wait for Chinook to let us in on her secret!
The new area looks great — kudos to all involved. I think I have a trip to the zoo is in my near future!
October 15th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
It sounds like everything is almost ready, so Chinook can do her thing, if possible! It is interesting that she wants to be with the keepers and also not with the other bears, though, like she is sensing her time is coming. I am not surprised Kalluk was mostly interested in his kiddie pools! Tatqiq has quite the explorer in her and what a lovely photo of her. She has piercing eyes that say “I know all!”
I, too, was wondering what the effect of having the other bears near Chinook’s area would be like for her. She knows Tatqiq and Kalluk’s growls and scents, but if she does have cub(s) will her maternal instinct kick in and will it make her nervous hearing the other bears so close, when, in natural environments the females with cubs stay far away from other polar bears?
October 15th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Today (10/15) around noon CST, was that Chinook vigorously scratching her back on a shrub? Is there a chasm separating her from Kalluk and Tatqiq? It’s difficult to tell from the camera angle. Kalluk very much wanted to be on the other side. He leaned over trying very hard to figure out a way to get there.
October 15th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
ok- if Kalluk has commandeered the kiddie pools, this pic right now has to be of him sleeping on it in a corner all stretched out! What a picture! I soooo wish the bear cam had the ability to send postcards like the panda cam does! I also wish I were a multi millionaire so I could donate my $$$ to the SDZ for such novelties! Can’t wait to hear about Chinook!
October 15th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Thank you Joanne for the update on our favorite threesome, and their new exhibit. Thank you also for the update on Chinook and her dening phase, (if/when she gets there). It does sound interesting in the least that she is more interested in staying with, or near her keeper. Has she always been this way, or is she kind of digging all the extra attention right now? I guess it just goes to show what a strong bond she has with her keeper. Kudos to him/her !!! =) The question I have for you is, so basically you are saying that since there are no signs of a pregnancy as of yet, that it’s possible implantation may not take effect untill long after the end of the year ?? Being a first time mother, could it be possible she’s not quite sure what the den is for, and that’s why she’s not interested in it much ? Any way we can get more updates on our bears more frequently? Thank you again JoAnne !!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Hi Debi, I always feel that about Tatqiq too, that she’s very intelligent and always brings everything she has to offer to any situation. You see that in photos of her looking through the glass at children, like she wants to find out what they’re all about just as much as they want to find out about her.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Thank you for the update. I so enjoy reading up on what’s happening with the bears. The new area looks fantastic, bravo……………..
October 16th, 2009 at 4:17 am
JoAnne, I am glad I got to see you in person on one of the Panda cub videos last night. It helps to put a face with a name.
Thanks for the great update. We look forward with excitement to the next 6 months with little panda cub going outside for the first time, getting his name, meeting his adoring public, learning to climb, and then on top of all that we can potentially see the birth of Chinook and Kalluk’s cub(s) and Chinook’s first time materal care. How will we get any work done, or any sleep? Before we know it there will be another time change and we will be engrossed in our monitors watching ALL our favorite bears.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:48 am
In view of bear eating carrots this morning at 9:30 AM, there was a small stone structure that looked like a small water pond/pool. Is this the drinking “bowl” for the polar bears? I am not sure if this is part of the new features added or if I have just not seen this view before. It is about the size of a kiddie pool. It looks neat whatever it is. Do the bears get most of their water from the plunge pool or from this drinker? I recall reading that unlike other animals, polar bears don’t drink much instead their bodies depend on their food and environment, and body fat, to supply their internal water requirements. This is the first time that I have actually witnessed one of the bears consuming their pile of carrots. They obviously like carrots, as has been mentioned before as weight control nutrition option, or they wouldn’t receive these piles several times a day. It find it interesting that carrots work as a “filler” to keep their hunger signals satisfied so they don’t eat as much as they would in the wild since they don’t need the additional body fat layers that are required for survival in the wild between seasons. Chinook does need the extra fat to sustain her during her denning phase coming up. Has she started slowing down in her food intake as Bai Yun does before her denning phase? If I recall correctly, that is one of the signals that you are looking for to know the timing for the beginning of the denning phase.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Oh no! The two bears on the exhibit are about as close as they can get to the new yard, looking longingly over at it. They either want to play in it or miss Chinook and can see her over there. This is sad!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Debi #16 — I saw the too – and it made me sad — but at least they have each other to keep them company. I’m sure they will be fine — and with the lovely weather we are expecting this weekend — they should have a great time in the pool entertaining their fans!
October 16th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Hi! Was just on the polar bear cam at around 9:15pm EDT, and I saw this nice big polar bear sleeping on the rock ledge. What was so different about this bear is that he/she is soooooooo dirty on his/her back and rump! Where was this bear at and what did this bear do to get so much dirt on him/her? Sorry, I don’t know which bear this is because I am seeing the bear’s back on the cam! The polar bear sure looks very comfy napping on that ledge, tho!
I’m also waiting for more news about Chinook as well. Just wondering, do Kalluk and Tatqiq get a chance in that new yard, too? Got polar bear access to that new yard yet? Hope so!
Gonna go and check the cam again!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
October 17th, 2009 at 12:17 am
It’s ten past midnight at SDZ and one of the bears is on the rocks, flat on his back, legs in the air! He looks like a very happy bear.
October 17th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
popped on- right now perfect camera aim up close of a VERY DIRTY bear sleeping holding a piece of wood with one paw like it is saying’ this is mine and you cant have it’ or ‘it’s my woobie’ and you cant take it away!!! awesome!!!
October 18th, 2009 at 9:25 am
I REALLY think you guys need to let us be able to send postcards from the PolarCam as well as the PandaCam. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Moderator’s note: No money in the budget to add that feature at this time.
October 18th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
The comment from visitors “At what age do polar bears turn white?” just made me laugh! It just shows how much the bears love to roll in dirt too!
October 19th, 2009 at 11:53 am
I wish I were a polar bear @ the SDZ! They seem to be happy ALL of the time! Whoever that is in the water playing w/the purple ball is literally having a ball. So much that it looks as if there’s water spots on the camera lens! HA!
October 19th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Great update, JoAnne. Many of us waiting on pins and needles to find out what Chinook is going to do! I am with you Grace (#22) I had to laugh when I read that comment. Moderator – I have a request if possible. On the panda cam page, it shows a list of the most recent blogs. Would it be possible to have it on the polar cam page too? That way, we would know right away if there has been a new blog since the last time we visited. I know it only saves 1 click but I think it is a very handy feature on the panda page. Thanks for listening!
Moderator’s note: I’ll forward your request to our Web Team.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Somebody, Kalluk?, is having a great time with the blue ball in the water. It is amazing how persistant they are. Finally they got it in their front legs and “hugged” it like a basketball player hugs a rebound. Got lots of exercise and enrichment diving and fetching with their nose. I was in awe how they managed to avoid hitting their head on the rock on the bottom of the pool below where they were diving for the ball. It must have been quite a show for anyone who was on the other side of the glass. The bear even looked like they were looking at someone inside on the other side of the glass as they came up for air and “grabbed the ball.”
October 19th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
This may not work… BUT.. You all WONDERFUL people can post a video of “the baby” (panda) and all his exams… I do not have a single question that NO ONE has ever seen a video of a ultra sound on a polar bear… so.. I know it’s kind of a invasion of her privacy but… Can we the normal people of the world see the REAL COOL stuff you all are doing? And do you have to shave her belly for it? Or would it be “the other kind” and that’s why you all are not video taping it? I mean I for one would find it VERY interesting to have them on tape so that once we find out.. “if she is” then you could just put that video up and the announcement could be.. TAKE A LOOK AT OUR NEW BABIES with her video… now that would be cool!
Moderator’s note: We’ve videotaped one of Chinook’s recent ultrasound procedures and will be posting it within a week. I’ll try to remember to let you know when it’s posted. (I was there with the videographer and it was an awesome experience to watch. Chinook’s belly is not shaved and she cooperated fully and looked so relaxed and at peace with the whole process. I was very impressed with the rapport Chinook has with her keepers!)
October 19th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Boy we have one dirty bear today !! Lemme guess.
October 19th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
JoAnne, you made me laugh when you quoted, “At what age do polar bears turn white?” I was just watching the Polar Cam and saw a “brown” bear:-). Anyway, I am thrilled that construction is over. And thank your for more informative and educating updates. I truly wish that Chinook is preggy….I can’t for that news. Anyway, it seems that they are having so much fun with their “new” home.
Thank you again JoAnne.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Must have been Kalluk playing with the blue ball earlier today. He is totally out sleeping on “his” swimming pool with his palm fronds closeby. He doesn’t look like he has any intention of waking up soon. But, keepers bringing food in an hour or so might change his mind. He is also VERY dirty so he must also like rolling around in the mulch.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Can’t wait to see that video.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:10 am
I am sooooo looking forward to seeing my favourite bear on video. Great views of Kalluk(?) with the blue ball yesterday.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I will be thrilled to see a video of the bears! And with sound, please! I want to hear my beloved friends growl! Maybe you can even get one of Kalluk and his slurpy sounds in the bedrooms!!
Moderator’s note: This short video will focus on Chinook’s ultrasound procedure.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I didn’t know Chinook was expecting (pregnant?) How neat! I’ve never seen a baby polar bear, except for on the Animal Planet channel. That’s great!
Moderator’s note: We can’t confirm a pregnancy yet; we are just doing ultrasound procedures to see what we can see.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Moderator, you just made my day! It will be such a privilege to be able to see Chinook’s ultrasound. This is the REAL COOL stuff (as Tina #26 says) that we animal cam voyeurs are longing to see. A big THANK YOU! to whomever on the staff had this idea.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Thank you for the update. I look foreward to a time when SDZ has a baby bear or twins. I have twin grandkiddes.Two is better but will take one if that is give pray. Will check out polar cam tomorrow it is dark right now.
Have fun with the polar bears.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:44 am
I have visited the zoo and the polar bears the last few days. On both days Tatqiq was scratching around her head like something was irritating her. I’m sure you have noticed this.
October 22nd, 2009 at 9:50 am
Thank you JoAnne for both of your recent blog entries. Loved the one about the polar feet! How interesting it was. Will be waiting with everyone else on the ultrasound video. How cool that we will be able to view it.
Just a side note—as I’ve been reading the blog entries and catching up, I’m also getting post cards ready to mail out—the stamp is a gorgeous polar bear with a starlit night sky!
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 am
Why does the polar bear keep walking back and forth around the waterfall? It is Thursday around 10:15 on the cam.
Moderator’s note: As we remodel parts of this area, the bears react to the changes in different ways.
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I just watched the video of Chinook’s ultrasound. What an amazing bear she is!! And what an amazing relationship she and the members of the Polar Bear team have!! Thank you for giving us this incredible behind-the-scenes look at Chinook’s world and the outstanding work you all do!
October 22nd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Just viewed the video of Chinook’s ultrasound too — and I am completely in awe of her and the staff. It was really remarkable how at ease she seemed — and how much she clearly trusted the staff. Of course, a big bowl of munchies doesn’t hurt — but WOW — that was the really amazing. Thank you so much for sharing for sharing it with us. Chinook is so, so beautiful!
October 22nd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Chinook is a month past awesome!!! What I wouldn’t give to be one of her keepers, their caring truely shows. You GO Chinook!! for those not sure of where this video is, as I was confused, it is listed with the live cam and videos “videos” link. Hugs and smooches to all three Bears!!
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Oh WOW! On another front, is she showing interest in her den yet?
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:56 am
Just viewed the video of Chinook’s ultrasound omg so wonderful! It is amazing, I thank god for this site and SDZ for the wonderful job everyone does! Have a good weekend!
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:05 am
Wow! What a fantastic video of Chinook’s ultrasound procedures! That is amazing. Polar bears are so huge!! I have never seen one in real life, so thank you for letting me really get some perspective (I guess they had it right in the movie The Golden Compass!). What a good girl she is. How quickly she went down when asked and calmly enjoyed her snacks while the vets and keepers did their work. This is such an exciting step in working with polar bears and illustrates beautifully the trust that builds between animal and keeper. Very heartening! I can only imagine how difficult it must be to find a cub in such a big bear! Depending on her comfort level, about how long does an ultrasound take, from caging her up to letting her back out?
Next time I have an ultrasound, I want munchies, too! Thanks for the tip, Chinook, and may you be blessed with a cubbie or two, very soon! You have the perfect personality for being a laid back Mommy with a lot of loving care!
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:29 am
I forgot to ask another question about the ultrasound. What kind of food was Chinook getting? I saw some kind of meat or fish, or both, and grapes, and what is in the cups with a straw? Does she actually drink something from a straw? Seal and Carrot Frappes?
Moderator’s note: Your question has been forwarded to the Polar Bear Team. We’ll update this comment when we recieve their answer.
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:38 am
We have 2 daughters. Our 9 year old is a big panda fan and is planning to travel to China to help the panda bear population after getting a science degree in college. Our 5 year old is a polar bear fan and wants to do the same thing her sister plans, but with polar bears.
Thank you for having a wealth of information and so many wonderful videos and updates on polar bears and panda bears. It feeds their knowledge and dreams of helping these animals immensely. The knowledge and information you provide is real and invaluable to them in so many ways.
We are hoping to find out that Chinook is expecting. We will be travelling from Wisconsin to see the new baby panda around Easter time. We will delay our trip though if we find out that Chinook will be gracing us with a cub or two so that we may visit both a baby panda and a baby polar bear!! We will keep our fingers crossed for a possible pregnancy!!
Moderator’s note: You’ve obviously done a great job as parents instilling a sense of compassion and stewardship in your daughters! We’re pleased to be able to help you in that regard.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:27 am
I have watched the ultrasound video several times and each time I am overcome with awe at the rapport between Chinook and her “ladies-in-waiting”. It looks like Chinook donned her finest mud leggings for the occasion. JoAnne’s commentary was, as usual, entertaining and informative. I am a bit confused, though. JoAnne referred to the lady by Chinook’s side as her trusted keeper. Wasn’t she being modest? Was that not the famous Ms. Simerson herself? It certainly looked like her. I know she is a renowned wild animal trainer currently specializing in training them in behaviors that aid vets and keepers in medical procedures. I was mesmerized watching her slowly and quietly position herself on the floor, all the while maintaining eye contact with Chinook and then giving the hand signal to lie down and roll over. It appears she spoke softly to her while feeding her those tasty treats. I would love to know how she trained her to keep that hind leg up for so long.
Moderator’s note: Good eye, Carol; that was indeed JoAnne at Chinook’s head during the exam.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
The video of the ultrasound on Chinook is the MOST amazing thing I have ever seen. She is HUGE!!!! and just rolls over on her side like a puppy playing scratch my belly. The effort that went into training her to do this behavior is awe inspiring. Anyone involved in this should be so proud of themselves and Chinook. I am so impressed with this video. I am mainly a panda cam watcher but you just may have converted me. I guess I will have to do both now. Less work will get done in my office, but my boss is understanding.
Have a fantastic weekend. Thank you again for doing all you do. I wish I lived closer so I could visit. No zoos in Maine at all, but lots of wildlife.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Chinook is beautiful. The video has rendered me speechless!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Oh wow! Just watched the ultrasound video! So amazing! Chinook is positively huge and such a sweet girl. She obviously has a bond with JoAnne and trusts and cooperates with her. What a nice platter of treats for her while she had the procedure. I can’t wait! I hope she is pregnant!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for the video of Chinook’s ultrasound. This brings clarity to this aspect of her training and routine. I truly hope you will find that little cub(s) on the next exam. Chinook is so good at following her commands. I hope the Zoo will also have a cub-naming event, like they have for the Giant Pandas. Of course, the native Alaskans could help with meaningful names and translations. But I don’t want to jinx a pregnancy by looking too far ahead. Keep up the good work with our bears. They are so special.
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:43 pm
So amazing how Chinook is at ease with her keepers. What great work all of you keepers do.
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Presently looking at an extremely dirty bear lying down in the Chinook ultrasound position and eating carrots. Is she out on the plunge area, enjoying some time to herself? Whomever it is looks extremely relaxed and content!
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Hi! I watched the video of the vets giving Chinook her ultrasound. Chinook looked so calm while she just layed down there and let them do the procedure while eating her snackies. I’m glad the cam showed the ultrasound screen, and I didn’t see a baby cub in her yet, BUT I am really hoping and praying that Chinook will be pregnant very soon! I do believe that she will be a great mom to her cub or cubs once she has them. BTW, if and when Chinook does have cubs, with this be her first litter of cubs in her life? And, Chinnok did look a little bit dirty on her hind legs! Where did she get that dirt from?
Well, gonna go. Will check the polar bear cam sometime tomorrow!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Moderator’s note: This would be her first litter.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Saturday morning I see on the cam that one big bear is searching for the other two. One was on the corner, and one was in the back, is there a fence there? And you only let one or two out at a time?
October 24th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Guess what, Saturday morning, one of the bears with a blue ball, figured out a way (or by accident) to hit the ball against the window and it bounces back. He, she, did it a couple of times, it was cute, since that bear couldnt find his playmates at the time.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
I have been watching all the live cams intently since my visit from Canada to the Zoo last fall and I love that I can “visit” often. I do have a question though, and I have tried to find the answer in past Polar Bear blogs and have had no luck. Will Chinook be impregnated or will nature take its course with a suitor??? I just watched the ultrasound video and was mesmerized. Thank you for sharing this with us!!!!!!!
Moderator’s note: We are hoping that the many “special times” Kalluk and Chinook had this past spring will bring about a cub or two. Time will tell.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Kalluk(?) has found a pink ball and is giving it a wash in the waterfall. It has to be clean before it can be played with!
October 25th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Ok, so now he’s drowning it in the waterfall!!
October 25th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Thanks to everyone for the fantastic very informative video of Chinook’s ultrasound. Joanne made it look so normal for a 650 pound possibly pregnant female to do exactly what she was asked by a human to do. It is incredible what she has been able to accomplish with Chinook because of the loving trust and respect that she has built with her. The treats obviously helped, but without the trusting relationship no potentially pregnant wild animal would have gotten in the positions she did, and allowed other humans to be rubbing in her fur where her hopefully growing cub(s) are located. Excellent job to one and all, especially Chinook.
She is allowing you to make many strides in the medical prenatal care of polar bears, as well as the work you were able to do with her in the hearing test.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I daresay Kalluk was worried about catching the “urswine” flu! ;oD
October 26th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Looks like today is Femur bone day. There was just an exchange between dirty bear, Kalluk?, and clean white bear, Tatqiq? They both enjoyed it.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Great close-up of white bear interacting with keepers behind the gate. Perhaps some training? Or just some attention from keepers? 4:00 PM
October 26th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
P.S. There seem to be a lot of people behind the gate, so I am wondering if this is part of the new section and perhaps the public are viewing Chinook?
October 26th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I was watching the polar bear cam, and looks like you have a new camera angle that shows the bears in front of a glass viewing area. I was amazed to see how much the bears seem to enjoy interacting with the people in the viewing area. Also saw the untrasound video. Watching the bears on web cams you forget how large they really are. Putting Chinook next to her trainer puts everything back into perspective. These polar bears are truly remarkable animals. Their trainers should be commended for their devotion to these wonderful animals.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Is nobody on cameras today? Last night I sent emails to my friends soliciting donations, and told them even if they aren’t able to donate to make sure to check out the polar bears. Once you check out ANY of the live camera’s, it’s pretty hard not to fall in love w/the animals. Not to mention the GREAT LOVE & CARE you all provide (including the moderator). I’m afraid if any of my friends didn’t check out a different camera or give it a second chance, we will have lost an opportunity for them falling in love (as I have) and become putty in your hands! Our SD ZOO ROCKS!!!
I would offer you every dime I had, however, I can only send (some) nickels since I’ve been unemployed for over a year. But I do, and will gladly continue to do so!
Moderator’s note: We’re looking into the camera situation. Thank you, Nancy, for the way you share your passion with your friends, and your dedication and support for our work. Hope your work situation improves soon!