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February 8, 2008

Local zoo concerned about fate of polar bears in wild

AP/Photo
A polar bear cub stands on his hind legs with his mother next to him in Wapusk National Park on the shore of Hudson Bay near Churchill, Canada in 2007.

Roger Williams Zoo hasn’t seen a polar bear for a while – the zoo is restructuring, creating a new habitat for the animals.

But the animals are due back in Rhode Island in about two years, according to Laura Dunn, spokeswoman for the zoo.

“They’re probably our most popular exhibit,” she said. “A polar bear is right in our logo. We’re definitely all about polar bears.”

Across the world, however, wildlife conservationists are concerned that soon they won’t be seeing many polar bears anywhere.

The World Wildlife Federation and other groups are stepping up their campaigns to have the animals listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act after the sale of nearly 30 million acres of offshore Alaska; much of the Chukchi Sea and part of the bears’ habitat.

The Minerals Management Service, a division of the Department of the Interior, said in a statement that it is conducting more than 40 Arctic-specific ecological studies to monitor the effects of industry activity.

The industry in question being oil.

On its Web site the MMS says that the area is “one of the last frontier areas in North America with potential as a significant source for oil and gas.”

If the polar bear makes it to the endangered species list, some of the waters contained in the sale might be designated as critical habitat and other protective measure could be put in place.

On the MMS Web site, a statement says that if the bear is listed, the service will consult with the Fish and Wildlife service.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Photo/LA Times Don Bartletti
The $3-million sea wall protecting Kivalina, Alaska, from the Chukchi Sea is constantly being repaired with sandbags. Ice used to protect the island from ferocious fall storms, but now the ice forms later in the year.

In the meantime, Dunn said, Roger Williams and other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums have been paying special attention to the animals.

“Many zoos are already treating polar bears as threatened animals,” she said, managing them under the Species Survival Program.

The program aims to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse population of animals, as well as educate the public about threats to the species.

One thing the program is not working on, at the moment, is reintroducing the animals into the wild.

“The problem is, they don’t have anywhere to go in the first place,” Dunn said. Their survival is closely tied to sea ice.

Hopefully there will come a day when things will change,” she added, “and you can have reintroduction areas that are safe and not melting.”

Extra: see video of the bears in their natural habitat.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:50 PM | Permalink

February 8, 2008

Local zoo concerned about fate of polar bears in wild

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