22.11.2019 by Ralph Morton
It seems a long time ago now, but as there are so few pictures from Gelsenkirchen I thought it would be worth reporting on the four Polars Bears who live in the Alaska world at ZOOM.
I am always keen to get to the Polar Bears as quickly as possible so I go into Alaska through the Exit rather than the Entrance. This saves quite a long walk, and still allows me to see some other animals. Alaska would not be complete without the Moose, which often walks into town. They have a large enclosure at ZOOM and are usually rather far away.
However, they do sometimes come closer in order to feed.
I was lucky and able to get a nice early morning photo.
The most important Polar Bear in ZOOM is of course Antonia. She was busy gardening when I arrived.
Antonia was born in Karlsruhe on 24 November and will be celebrating her thirtieth birthday soon. Although she is beginning to show her age, she still likes to swim and search out any treats in her enclosure. Her short legs and cublike face can be seen in this photo.
Like all adult Polar Bears “Tony” has a purple tongue, which she shows here.
Antonia likes to rest on the edge of her pool.
Rolling in the mud and grass is important for Polar Bears as they do this in snow in order to keep their fur dry.
Antonia enjoys walking along the edge of the pool even though she has plenty of space.
Always alert and interested in what is going on around her, Antonia likes visitors.
A determined Antonia strides along, sniffing the air.
Asleep, Antonia really does look like a cub.
Her generous enclosure does get used a lot. But most activity seems to have taken place before visitors arrive. Looking at this picture it is easy to see why some visitors think Antonia is Nanook.
Next door to Antonia in the main enclosure is Bill, the male Polar Bear from the Czech Republic. Bill tries as often as possible to sniff Lara and Nanook at the edge of his enclosure, but he also goes to see what Antonia is doing.
Like Antonia, Bill likes to walk along the edge of the pool. It is interesting that even when they have plenty of space, Polar Bears in Zoos have set patterns which they patrol, usually on edges.
This sequence shows Bill destroying a blue canister. The thick plastic is no match for his claws and teeth. No seals or walrus were harmed in the making of this report.
Be the first to comment