Madison’s Henry Vilas Zoo is about to get even cooler with arrival of new polar bear
The Henry Vilas Zoo is getting ready to welcome a new polar bear to its crew. Here’s everything you need to know about Nora’s arrival from the Oregon Zoo.
This week, the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison announced that it will be welcoming a brand new female polar bear into the fold. Nora, who is nine years old, will be arriving from the Oregon Zoo before the end of the year. She was originally born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2015, and will be joining Madison’s 26-year-old female polar bear, Berit, upon her arrival.
The Henry Vilas Zoo says that Nora will eventually be introduced to a male polar bear in the hopes of having them procreate to raise cubs. Speaking about the decision to bring Nora over from Oregon, the executive director of the Madison zoo, Ronda Schwetz, said, “Our award-winning polar bear habitat was built with cubs in mind and our animal care team has the experience needed to provide Nora with the best possible care.”
Given that polar bears are classified by the U.S. Endangered Species Act as being threatened due to their decreased Arctic habitat, the Henry Vilas Zoo is hoping to use this opportunity as “a tremendous step forward towards helping the overall polar bear population.” While it’s going to take time for Nora to help rebuild the polar bear population, she’s already being credited for helping advance research on her species.
Nora has helped scientists collect crucial data
According to The Daily Cardinal, Nora has previously contributed to scientific research about polar bears. She was previously used to assist in calibrating a special laser designed to measure body mass, which allows scientists to study the caloric needs of this endangered species. This type of work is essential in our understanding of how to best care for the creatures—both in conservation areas like zoos and in the wild.
Polar Bears International’s vice president of conservation, Amy Cutting, said in a press release that, “Modern zoos and aquariums play a key part in saving this species. Polar bears live in one of the harshest environments on the planet, making them notoriously difficult to study. We have gaps in our understanding of how climate action is affecting them. The bears in professional care can help.”
The conservationists at the Henry Vilas Zoo are hoping to continue to fill those gaps through their care and oversight of Berit, and in the next few months, Nora. The two female bears have been dubbed “Arctic ambassadors,” and they’ll help visitors better understand the reality of what wildlife loss and climate change really look like. The Madison zoo is free to the public, making it even easier to learn more about these beautiful creatures.
Melissa Agard, the Dane County Executive, said of Nora’s impending arrival, “I am so proud of all the work the staff at the Henry Vilas Zoo has done to support polar bear conservation and get us to this point.” She added, “This is going to be an exciting year for our zoo and we look forward to welcoming Nora in the next few months and hopefully polar bear cubs in the near future.”
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