Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Polar Bears REUNION!

Polar Bears Reunited

Almost one year to the date of the first time we put all three polar bears together, we decided to reintroduce them on June 17. With it being the end of breeding season, and exhausting Tatqiq’s patience with her “alone” time, we determined it was time to try all three bears together again. Having the first round last year go so well, we were fairly optimistic that this time wouldn’t be all that different. That, along with the friendly interactions between the girls through the introduction panel, was helpful.

We started early again and released Kalluk and Tatqiq first onto the exhibit. As soon as they came out, they immediately noticed all the people stationed around the area and looked at us as if to say, “Okay, when is she coming out?” Again, these bears are smart and there’s no getting anything past them! After about five minutes, we released Chinook, who didn’t hesitate to approach for greetings. They were mostly directed at Tatqiq, but, as usual, Kalluk was right there to investigate what was going on.

Where as last time Tatqiq was hesitant at first and unsure of Chinook’s intentions, this was not obviously the case now. Almost immediately, Tatqiq was backing into the pool, enticing Chinook to follow. After a few head-bobs and peek-a-boos, Chinook obliged. Kalluk stood on the edge of the pool, watching the game before him and feeling a little left out. He decided not to wait for an invitation and plunged into the pool to join in the fun. Needless to say, what followed was several hours of entertainment!


More on the reunion here.

Polar bear camera here.

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