Fish popsicles. Buckets and balls. Dig pits. Streams. And swimming pools.
Zoo professionals have learned how to keep the polar bears in their care curious and engaged. To make it easier for all zoos with polar bears to network with each other and share knowledge, PBI has formed a Polar Bear Well-being Committee.
Co-chaired by JoAnne Simerson of the San Diego Zoo and Bill Winhall of Sea World San Diego, the team met for the first time at the Como Zoo in St. Paul.
“I'm really excited by the enthusiasm, energy, and experience of the team,” says Simerson. “We're putting together documents that will cover polar bear care and well-being, down to the smallest detail. No one should have to reinvent the wheel."
Team members are identifying gaps in knowledge and will work to answer those questions. They also plan to hold workshops and training sessions to enhance exchanges among keepers.
In addition to Simerson and Winhall, team members include:
- Traci Belting, Seattle Aquarium
- Mike Brown, Brookfield Zoo
- Jill Marvin, CAZA Aquarium Quebec
- Betsie Meister, Detroit Zoo
- Randi Meyerson, AZA Bear TAG, Polar Bear SSP, Toledo Zoo
- Don Moore, Smithsonian Institute
- Sarah Oistad, PBI ambassador
You Can Help. To support the well-being of polar bears in the wild and in zoos, please DONATE or symbolically ADOPT a polar bear. Your gift will make a difference for endangered polar bears and their habitat.
Photo Credit: © 2010 Valerie Abbott
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