Detroit Zoo International Polar Bear Day Events Focus On Climate Change Threats

ROYAL OAK, MI — The Detroit Zoo didn’t order southeast Michigan’s unusual spring-like winter weather, but it perfectly illustrates a key issue that will be discussed during the upcoming International Polar Bear Day observance — the disappearing ice cover in the bears’ native Arctic habitat over the last several decades.

The Detroit Zoological Society is planning several free events at the zoo’s award-winning Arctic Ring of Life from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on both Sunday, Feb. 26, and Monday, Feb. 27— the actual date of the International Polar Bear Day observance. The events include zookeeper talks, educational activities and photo sessions with the zoo’s polar bear mascot.

“Our hope is that the 1.7 million people who visit the Detroit Zoo each year leave here with a greater understanding of the issues facing polar bears in the wild and the realization that everyone can do something to help save the these animals and their arctic habitat,” Gerry VanAcker, DZS chief operating officer, said in a statement.

The zoo has a breeding pair of polar bears, Nuka and Talini, both 12, and they’ll get special treats inside their Arctic Ring of Life habitat at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on both days. Animal care staff will share information about the two bears’ personalities and behaviors in the Nunavut Gallery.

Education stations will include Zoomy handheld microscopes that will provide an up-close look at the fur of a polar bear to see that it’s not actually white but rather translucent and hollow — the sun’s reflection off the bear’s dark skin gives the illusion of a white coat. “Blubber gloves” will demonstrate how blubber serves as insulation for these marine mammals, keeping them warm despite their icy climate.

Conservation stations will allow visitors to witness the decrease in ice cover in the Arctic over the last several decades, analyze aerial photography to understand declining polar bear populations, and weigh puppets to comprehend the drop in average weight of these animals over the years.

Polar bear facts will be incorporated into footprints placed throughout the 70-foot-long Frederick and Barbara Erb Polar Passage, a clear tunnel that winds through the polar bears’ underwater environment as the animals swim above and around. Children will have the opportunity to piece together a life-sized polar bear puzzle in the Exploration Station.

The first 125 attendees at each of the International Polar Bear Day events will receive a free magnet with green tips to help lighten one’s carbon footprint.

Wild populations of polar bears are in decline and are at a high estimated risk of future decline due to climate change, according to the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group, which red-listed the bears as “vulnerable.”
The World Wildlife Fund said that in 2008, polar bears were listed as a threatened species in the United States due to the ongoing and potential loss of their sea ice habitat as a result of climate change.

Because of ongoing and potential loss of their sea ice habitat resulting from climate change, polar bears were listed as a threatened species in the US under the Endangered Species Act in May 2008.

Below, enjoy these photos of the Detroit Zoo polar bears.