It'll be seeing the animals as they should be seen in their element. The exhibit, Jenike says, will illustrate to patrons exactly how polar bears survive in their natural climate, one of the harshest on Earth. Their native habitat, above the Arctic Circle, can see temperatures plunge to 50 degrees below zero and stay there for weeks at a time. Polar bears stay occupied by pursuing their staple food, seals, which are normally found on the surface of the ocean. So they are at home in the water as well as on the ice.
Workers prepare to take the wraps off part of the new Lords of the Arctic exhibit.
Which is why zoo director Ed Maruska pushed hard for a display that would feature glass panels allowing viewers to see the bears below the water line. Maruska says that many polar bear exhibits in Europe devote as much as 80 percent of their space to water. Plus, he says, emphasizing the water dwelling side of the bears' lives adds an element of user friendliness to the exhibit. This area has bothered me for a long time because I've seen fathers have to put their children on their shoulders to see the animals in the water. We wanted to make that go away so everyone can see these animals nose to nose underwater.