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MEDIA
RELEASE
September 8, 2011
CONTACT: Kyle Shepherd
502-238-5331 (Media Cell 502-744-5639)
kyle.shepherd@louisvilleky.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Male Polar Bear Cub, Siku,
Arrives in Louisville
and Update on Qannik
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Siku at the Louisville Zoo
Photo
by
Kyle Shepherd |
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Siku, a 585 lb nearly two year-old
male polar bear cub arrived safely in Louisville from the
Toledo Zoo on September 6. Siku is the second polar bear cub
to move to the Louisville Zoo’s newest exhibit, the
arctic-themed Glacier Run which opened in April 2011. His
addition brings the Glacier Run polar bear population to
three (there are only 79 polar bears in zoos in North
America). He joins seven month-old female, Qannik, the
rescued Alaskan cub and Arki, an adult female polar bear.
Also residing in Glacier Run is the rescued grizzly bear
family of three — Inga, Otis and Rita.
“Siku’s move went well thanks to the
professional team from the Toledo Zoo” said Louisville Zoo Director John
Walczak. “Within 30 minutes of arriving Siku was already in his private
pool swimming. He arrives at an exciting time for us with our recently
opened bear habitat offering state-of-the-art bear space for Siku and
the rest of our bears. The design of this facility demonstrates our
clear commitment to the species and educating zoo visitors about the
challenges facing the bears and ways they can help by reducing our
carbon footprint.”
Siku will be off-exhibit in a private den with
an adjacent pool and play area for a standard 30 day quarantine, a
typical period of isolation from other animals, restricted access to the
public, and intense health and behavioral monitoring by keepers and
veterinary staff before he goes into exhibit rotation with the other
bears.
The plan is to eventually introduce Siku and
Qannik, however it will not occur right now due to their difference in
sizes. Viewing Status updates on both Qannik and Siku will be available
on the Zoo’s website at
www.LouisvilleZoo.org
Siku was born December 3, 2009 at the Toledo
Zoo to mother, Crystal, and father, Marty. Siku’s name means “ice” in
the Iñupiaq language and was chosen by schoolchildren on Alaska’s North
Slope. Qannik’s name means “snowflake” in the Iñupiaq language and was
also the name of the ConocoPhillips Oil field where she was found.
Siku’s placement at the Louisville Zoo was a
key factor in Operation Snowflake, the collaboration between Alaska Zoo
and Louisville Zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Association
of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Polar Bears International (PBI), the Toledo
and San Diego Zoos, and UPS that placed the rescued cub, Qannik, in
Louisville. The determination was made because both the physical and
psychological needs of both cubs could be met in Louisville. “It is a
little sad when our animals leave,” said Dr. Randi Meyerson, who was
instrumental in the decision making process. Meyerson is the Toledo
Zoo’s Curator of Mammals and the Coordinator of the Polar Bear Species
Survival Plan (SSP), one of the AZA’s cooperative breeding management
programs, “but the Louisville Zoo’s new Glacier Run bear habitat is an
excellent facility with a lot of space, flexibility, animal-training and
enrichment options. Siku, Qannik and Arki have a promising future there.
They will play an important role as ambassadors for polar bears in the
wild, and help inspire the public to understand the significant
relationship between our carbon footprints, climate change and the
threats to arctic environments and polar bears.”
Update on Qannik
Qannik, the rescued
Alaskan polar bear cub, has settled nicely into her new home at Glacier
Run following her arrival at the end of June 2011 via “Operation
Snowflake.” She was approximately five months-old and 56 lbs at that
time. She continues to gain the desired pound or so per day and now
weighs a healthy 125 lbs. After a quarantine and acclimation period, she
is currently on exhibit for a few hours several times a day. These times
remain flexible and may vary day-to-day so that her comfort, development
and safety can remain a priority. “We don’t want to let her anticipate
things that are going to happen such as consistent feeding and exhibit
times so that she stays curious, stimulated and highly engaged with her
environment. We really want to mix it up for her,” says Qannik’s primary
caregiver and assistant mammal curator, Jane Anne Franklin.
Guests can see Qannik
in the Bear Alley portion of Glacier Run, where she frolicks in hay,
jumps in her ice bin, climbs stairs to run across the Bear Walk to peer
down at the guests below, jumps in and out of an old pick-up truck that
is part of the exhibit and generally delights guests with her energy and
cub antics. “She will go to something and try to figure it out and then
she will leave it for a while and go off to play with another toy. Then
you will see her come back and use a different tactic,” Franklin adds. “
She is a really smart bear! We are learning so much from her.” Viewing
Status updates on both Qannik and Siku will be available on the Zoo’s
website at
www.LouisvilleZoo.org.
Qannik is owned and
managed by the USFWS and any major plans including breeding will be
decided upon by the organization. Being a wild-born bear, Qannik’s
offspring would add an important genetic diversity to the captive polar
bear population.
The bear habitat of
Glacier Run, the Louisville Zoo’s newest exhibit, opened in April 2011
and shows the Zoo’s commitment to the species in both the facility
design and programming. The Louisville Zoo worked closely with PBI in
the process of designing and building Glacier Run and through this
partnership the Zoo has been designated as an Arctic Ambassador Center.
Designed as an imaginary town on the edge of the arctic wilderness,
Glacier Run is modeled after Churchill, Canada, the polar bear capital
of the world and a place where humans are learning to co-exist with
wildlife. The exhibit offers spectacular views, captivating stories of
the arctic and unique opportunities for close-up encounters with the
magnificent and iconic polar bear, as well as grizzly bears, seals and
sea lions. Guests can interact with zoo keepers, learn about current
challenges to arctic environments and animals, and discover how
incremental changes in our everyday activities and behaviors can make a
difference for our planet and these magnificent species.
# # #
The
Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky,
is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by
providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for
visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation
education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of
Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
***
Get
up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit
by checking out our new
Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville
Zoo by becoming a fan on
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Twitter.
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