Polar Bear Tatqiq: Arctic Ambassador!
Posted at 11:37 am November 18, 2009 by JoAnne Simerson
Tatqiq investigates the new management yard at Polar Bear Plunge.
Many of you have noticed the new wall by the beach. This is the new “Guest Experience Wall” that will be unveiled next year when the new interpretive area opens. However, Tatqiq has ignored all memos saying that this will happen next year. She has installed herself as the overseer of all guest greetings and is chief model for all polar bear close-up photography. In brief, she is THE Arctic Ambassador, and she is holding court every day as though she is the queen of the beach, no longer the princess! What an incredible opportunity now to have only three inches of glass separate you from a polar bear so willing to pose for your photos! More surprises are ahead when we do officially open the wall in March.
Kalluk has also enjoyed having the entire beach area back. Every night he chooses between sleeping on what is left of his kiddie pool or building a soft, cozy sand bed. He does seem to enjoy watching the show Tatqiq puts on with the guests and will join from time to time. He also spends time watching Chinook next door in the yard. I’m not sure what he is thinking. Perhaps he, too, is wondering if cubs are on the way. If not, we expect to begin seeing changes in him by the end of December as his hormones prepare him for the next breeding season.
For me, I am in Canada, working with our conservation partner, Polar Bears International, and spending time with the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba. This will be my ninth fall with our incredible furry ice bears. Even in such a short time I have seen great changes in the polar bears due to the change in ice. Please take the time to read our student Arctic Ambassador Daniel Straub’s impressions of his time with the bears (see post Northern Lights Perfect Backdrop for Polar Bears) and the great information shared by Dr. Ron Swaisgood of his first adventure to Churchill (see post Hope for Polar Bears). With how fast the Arctic is changing, anyone lucky enough to experience this disappearing land of ice must be an ambassador to inspire others, who can’t come north, to care enough to make the changes to save this beautiful habitat and the animals and people who live here. Tatqiq is a great model as an Arctic Ambassador; she’d love to share the role with you!
JoAnne Simerson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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November 18th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Great post JoAnne. Chinook obviously needs a maid following her around to keep her nice and clean. Poor Kalluk, he needs a new kiddy pool – I don’t remember seeing any on the Wish List or I would have bought one for him. And how lovely that Tatqiq has a new job. She’ll be asking for a pay rise next! Hope you see lots of Polar Bears in Churchill. Love to all the bears.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I’ve just come home from Churchill a week ago. It was my fifth time. I thought there were fewer bears this year but chalked it up to a sharp drop in the temperature just before I arrived. It seemed to have sent many bears out onto the ice already. What are you seeing, Joanne?
As for Tatqiq, we always knew she was the prima donna, didn’t we? I’m looking forward to meeting her. Actually I got closer than 3″ while in Churchill, but I also got into big trouble with the tour guide. I am unrepentant.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
JoAnne,
Enjoy your trip to the north and the Polar Bears there. Thank you for this lovely post – your description of Tatqiq and her ignoring the memos and installing herself as the overseer of guest greetings…. has brought a huge smile to my face. Go Tatqiq – the Polar Bears need all the help possible and you are an awesome ambassadress!
November 18th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Thanx for the post JoAnne. Regarding Tatqiq.. We all know, you eventually go from Princess to Queen. =)
November 18th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I was just there! I am freinds with Don Moore and he told me about you. I saw about 90 bears!
November 18th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I mean I was just in Churchill.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Glad to hear everything is well, fingers crossed that Chinook is pregnant!
November 18th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Lovely blog! It is good to know Chinook is getting comfortable in the new area, so in case she is with cub(s) she will be in familiar territory. I can just see her carrying them out to show the keepers and saying “Oh, look at what I made!” I have seen some lovely shots of Tatqiq very close to the gate, smiling and posing and wondering what she would look like with a pink tiara on!! Kalluk leaves a lovely impression in the sand after a night of sleeping. I noticed both his and Tatqiq’s sleeping burrows this morning, after they had left them. Soft mattresses!! Send love and hope to the bears in Churchill. I live in New England and we had quite a cold and long winter, last year. I am hoping that did some good up in the arctic for breeding and healthy cubs/bears, good ice cover, etc.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Thank you, Max. It must have been the timing.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Thanks, JoAnne. You have inspired me to renew my campaign to get my husband to go to Churchill to see the bears… he loves to travel to the far corners of the earth but, having grown up in Montreal and living his adult life in Alberta, he seems to think, “Oh, Canada, been there, done that”!! Or maybe I’ll just have to go there without him. I’m very concerned about the polar bears on their melting ice cap, and it does my heart good to think of people who are working to save them. Max #5 and 6 — I envy you and I hope to get there some day. Meanwhile, I hope Chinook is pregnant. What fun — watching young polar bear cubs on the SDZ cam.
November 19th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
It’s about 3:13 here in SD — and there are some very lucky Plunge visitors seeing Kalluk and Tatqic snoozing right next to the viewing glass and gate. One bear very dirty, the other not so much, but curled up sleeping — looks so comfortable!! I just want to join them!!
November 19th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Is the new Guest Experience Wall the one with the mesh area? I saw someone feeding snacks to the bears through it one day last week, but thought there were Zoo visitors there, too. Very, very cool. In fact, there are a couple of bears lounging there right now.
Moderator’s note: Yes indeed!
November 19th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I am watching the bears near the new gate and glass viewing area and both bears are sound asleep, apparently not the least concerned with showing off, for the moment. Napping must be a present priority for some good night time swimming and rowdy play!
November 19th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Thanks for the update, JoAnne. I hope you have a wonder-full visit with the polar bears in Churchill.
Tatqiq might be making up for all the time she had to stay away from the lovebirds early in 2009. Since Chinook was not crazy about sharing her territory with Tatqiq while she was in Kalluk’s company, Tatqiq had to stay on the fringes by herself. Now she has the exhibit and her brother’s company back for herself and she is making the most of it. She is saying “Look at me,” I am beautiful and important too. If Chinook is pregnant all eyes will turn toward her in the coming months, so it is great that Tatqiq is taking advantage of the opportunity to shine on her own, and make her own special bond with visitors, especially the youngest generation on the other side of the glass.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
when the bears are out walking or sunning or something, then all of a sudden they stop and throw their heads back are they howling or bellowing or making some kind of noise? I wish we had sound on the cams… now THAT would be interesting! Love the dirt rolling too!
Moderator’s note: Usually they have just caught a whiff of an interesting smell!
November 21st, 2009 at 2:17 am
#15 Cindy and Moderator: probably the interesting smell from the food stall just outside the Exhibit!
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
I just came onto the cam and the first thing I saw was what looked like a boat!! Whoa, I thought, who’s taken to sailing then. But I think it might be a kiddie pool? Or maybe my first thought was right and, perhaps Tatqiq is going to don a sailors hat and parade around the pool? Ok, I’m just getting over a nasty virus, maybe it’s affected my brain!!
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Thanks for posting a picture of Tatqiq investigating her new surroundings. It is greatly appreciated!
November 24th, 2009 at 12:16 am
What a lovely picture of Tatqiq. I did a double take when I saw it because I was sure it wasn’t there yesterday. Thank you for posting it.
November 24th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Just looked on the web cam and saw a black bear!! At first, I thought some other animal had gotten into the polar bear enclosure as this bear was black, except for the white around his eyes. I know that the bears like to get dirty, I have just not seen one this dirty so far. Too cute!!
November 24th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Why does Kalluk completely cover herself in mud? I just saw her roll and roll until all of her fur was dark. The only white fur was around her muzzle and around her eyes???
November 24th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
This has to be the absoluteliest dirtiest brownest I have ever seen Chinook. Does anyone know why this behavior is so well honed?
November 24th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
I agree with Barbara #22! I almost did not recognize the bear and mistook it for some other creature!
However, she seems VERY content lying in a pile of some palm fronds. Someone should get a camera and capture it on a photograph! =)
November 24th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Sorry, it is Chinook, not Kalluk. She does look like a brown bear.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I watched Chinook (?) do this yesterday, too. She got absolutely filthy and then hopped into the waterfall pond and had a long bath. It was very entertaining!
November 24th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
The new viewing walls are the coolest thing ever!! The guests on the other side are having a great time looking at — yes, you guessed it — a very dirty bear rolling in the sand. Can’t wait to get down there and check it out!
November 25th, 2009 at 11:57 am
In the wild, they roll around in the snow a lot. It seems to feel very good, and I think it’s supposed to clean the fur. Not sure how that connects with rolling around in the dirt, but it may in the polar bear brain.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Great post. I have read this one ten times. Thanks so much and enjoy your trip. Can’t wait to hear all the new things that you experienced in Canada. Tell us what happens if Chinook is expecting, does that mean our boy just does not go into gear? Does he adjust if Chinook is not interested this year or does he still have his ears up, just because it is the season to be jolly?
November 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
“season to be jolly” — I need to remember that LOL!