Maryland Zoo in Baltimore polar bears finding new home
VERY SOON AND THE BEARS WILL BE LEAVING TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 11 NEWS REPORTER JENNIFER FR ANCIOTTI HAS THE STORY. JENNIFER: AMELIA GRAY COMES OUT TO PLAY FOR ONE OF HER LAST TIMES HERE AT POLAR BEAR WATCH THAT’S’BECAUSE SHE AND HER HALF SISTER NEVA ARE LEAVING THE MARYLANDOO. Z >> WE DON’T WANT TO THK INOF IT AS LOSING THEM. WE WANT TO THINK OF THAT AS MOVING THEM TO A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A REAYLL REALLY GOOD FUTURE. JENNIFER: THE POLAR BEARS CAME TO BALTIMORE IN 2018, BUT BY THE END OF THIS WEEK ONE WILL BE GONE AND THE OTHER BY MID NOVEMB.ER ONE IS GOING TO A ZOO IN OREGON. THE OTHER TWO EXUDE — YET TOE B NAMED. THEY’VE REACHED A POINT AND THEIR MATURITY WHERE THEY CAN NEW HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO THRIVE. >> AMELIA GRAY IS MORE SOCIAL BUT LIKES HER ALONE TIME. AND NEVA IS ONE THAT WLIL PROBABLY DO WELL IN THE COMPANY OF A MALE AND HAS GOOD POTENTIAL FOR BREEDING. NEVA GREW UP WITH HER BROTHER WHO WAS A REALLY LARGE BEAR. SO SHE’S USED TO BEING AROUND A LARGE MALE. AND WE BELIEVE THAT SHE WILL HANDLE THAT SITUATION WELL. JENNIFER: MEANING POLAR ARBE CUBS COULD BE IN HER FUTURE TO GET READY FOR THE TRIP, KEEPERS HAD TO GET THEM USED TO GOING INSIDE VERY LARGE CRATES. >> WE WANT TO MAKE THIS TRIP AS EASY AND AS COMFORTABLE FOR THEM AS POSSIBLE. AND SO THE KEEPERS HAVE BEEN DOING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TRAINING. JENNIFER: AND FOR THE GRIZZLIES NITA AND NOVA WHO WILL GET THIS SPACE TO THEMSELVES BROUGHT HERE AS ORPHANS WE’RE TOLD THEY ARE HERE TO STAY. MEANWHILE SOME OF THE SMLEALR EXHIBITS AROUND POLAR BEAR WATCH WILL BE RENOVATED AND PEAPSRH SOME NEW ANIMALS BROUGHT IN. SO WILL THE ZOO EVER GET ANOTHER POLAR BEAR? THEY SAY NEVER SAY NEVER. IF THERE’S ANOTHER ZOO IN NEED AND A POLAR BE NAREEDS A NEW HOME BALTIMORE COULD BE AT. — IT.
Polar bears are leaving Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Updated: 6:06 PM EDT Oct 27, 2021
There’s not much time left to see the polar bears at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The bears will be going to different locations across the country. Polar bear Amelia Gray and her half-sister Neva came out to play for one of their last times at Polar Bear Watch.”We don’t want to think of it as losing them. We want to think of that as moving them to a place where they are going to have a really, really, good future,” assistant animal curator Margaret Innes said.The polar bears came to Baltimore in 2018, but by the end of this week, one will be gone and the other will leave by mid-November. They’re moving to separate zoos — one to a zoo in Oregon and the other yet to be named. They’ve reached a point in their maturity where they can have new opportunities to thrive.”Amelia Gray is more social but likes her alone time, and Neva is one that will probably do well in the company of a male and has good potential for breeding,” Innes said. “Neva grew up with her brother who was a really large bear. So, she’s used to being around a large male and we believe that she will handle that situation well.”That means polar bear cubs could be in her future. To get ready for the trip, keepers had to get them used to going inside large crates.”We want to make this trip as easy and as comfortable for them as possible. And so, the keepers have been doing a tremendous amount of training,” Innes said. “It’s going to be a big change for us here at the zoo.”Grizzlies Nita and Nova, who were brought to the zoo as orphans, will get the space to themselves and are here to stay. Meanwhile, some of the smaller exhibits around Polar Bear Watch will be renovated, and, perhaps, some new animals brought in.Will the zoo ever get another polar bear? They say, “Never say never.” If there’s another zoo in need and a polar bear needs a new home, Baltimore could be that. Watch video from when Amelia Gray and Neva arrived in 2018:
There’s not much time left to see the polar bears at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The bears will be going to different locations across the country.
Polar bear Amelia Gray and her half-sister Neva came out to play for one of their last times at Polar Bear Watch.
“We don’t want to think of it as losing them. We want to think of that as moving them to a place where they are going to have a really, really, good future,” assistant animal curator Margaret Innes said.
The polar bears came to Baltimore in 2018, but by the end of this week, one will be gone and the other will leave by mid-November. They’re moving to separate zoos — one to a zoo in Oregon and the other yet to be named. They’ve reached a point in their maturity where they can have new opportunities to thrive.
“Amelia Gray is more social but likes her alone time, and Neva is one that will probably do well in the company of a male and has good potential for breeding,” Innes said. “Neva grew up with her brother who was a really large bear. So, she’s used to being around a large male and we believe that she will handle that situation well.”
That means polar bear cubs could be in her future. To get ready for the trip, keepers had to get them used to going inside large crates.
“We want to make this trip as easy and as comfortable for them as possible. And so, the keepers have been doing a tremendous amount of training,” Innes said. “It’s going to be a big change for us here at the zoo.”
Grizzlies Nita and Nova, who were brought to the zoo as orphans, will get the space to themselves and are here to stay. Meanwhile, some of the smaller exhibits around Polar Bear Watch will be renovated, and, perhaps, some new animals brought in.
Will the zoo ever get another polar bear? They say, “Never say never.” If there’s another zoo in need and a polar bear needs a new home, Baltimore could be that.
Watch video from when Amelia Gray and Neva arrived in 2018:
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/polar-bears-leaving-maryland-zoo-baltimore/38079557