Part I “The Polar Bear”
The polar bear’s scientific name is Ursus maritimus. While it is more commonly known as the polar bear.
The identifying abiotic characteristics of the tundra, which is the biome where the polar bear lives, include strong winds, rainfall, permafrost, photosynthesis, and seasons. The tundra is one of the the coldest biomes. It also receives minimal precipitation usually less than 5 inches per year, similar to a desert. But, it can be wet because water evaporates slowly since the temperature is very cold. The tundra is found just below the Arctic. The tundra biome includes parts of North America, Alaska, and Canada. The winters are long and dark. The temperature is approximately ten to twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Because the climate is so cold, there is a layer of permafrost, or permanently frozen soil which prevents water from soaking into the ground as well as roots from penetrating deep into the almost non- existent soil is a characteristic of the tundra. The summer growing season is only six to ten weeks where there is twenty-four hours of sunlight. Vegetation has adapted to the cold and the short growing season without deep root system. Mosses, sedges, and lichens are commonly found in tundra, while trees are rarely present. The trees have a tendency to grow close to the ground o they could be insulated by snow during the long and cold winter.
Some anatomical adaptions include their fur, skin, and paws. In the tundra, it is extremely cold, so thick, insulating fur and layers of warming fat are necessary for survival. The white-looking fur provides camouflage as the predator in the white environment covered with snow and ice. Interestingly, the polar bear has black skin which is covered by the fur. This also helps warm the polar bear by absorbing the rays of the sun. They have large front paws which are slightly webbed. This is an adaption which helps them swim to catch their prey, normally seals. The polar bear’s paws work like snowshoes.They have footpads lined with small soft bumps (papillae) and claws that are short, curved and thick This helps them not slip while running on slippery ice in their native habitat. One physiological adaption is their diet. Polar bears eat anything including fat and meat, even plants whatever available in this desperate cold habitat. High-fat diets with a high number of calories are essential to survive the temperatures of the tundra. Also, it builds a thick fat layer of the body for the insulation. Examples of behavioral adaptions that polar bears have are how they live a solitary life and when they hibernate. A solitary life is an adaptation to the little life in their habitat. Only pregnant polar bears slow down the metabolism or hibernate with her cubs in dens during the winter time. This is an adaption which enables her cubs to be healthier because they aren’t born in the harsh winter climate, but instead a protective environment, den.
An interesting fact is that only female polar bears protect their cubs who teach them. But they are not helped by the males who will even kill the cubs, though they are the same species. Polar bears are not endangered. They are only vulnerable Lastly, they are the largest land carnivore and can be eight feet tall and weigh 1,760 Pounds Also, polar bears have no predators, except for humans. Therefore, they do not fear us, making them dangerous. With the less ice available to settle due to climate change, they even eat dolphin and goose eggs in addition to seal, whatever available and save the leftover in the ice. Also, they come to human settlement searching for garbage for food. One of the towns in Canada stopped the Halloween outdoor activity for the fear of the possible polar bear attack. Another interesting fact is that polar bears actually have transparent fur and only appear white because the air spaces in each hair reflect light, just like the color white does. This encapsulated air helps the insulation of the body in the very cold climate.
Part II “The Polar Bear in the Exhibit”
In the exhibit, I plan to have one female and one male polar bear. But the number may reach to to more than that if they have cubs, but the cubs will be sold to a different zoo after around two and a half years. This is because in the wild, the mother bear suddenly abandons the young cub after approximately two and a half years. I decided to have that many because polar bears are normally solitary animals and don’t normally come together until they mate. But if they are left alone for there whole life, it can get lonely for them and they can die quicker. It is said to be best to either have single-sex groups of either male or female, or one male and one female. But if there is one male and one female, there is a possibility they could have offspring, and baby polar bears are “cuter” than adults. This could help raise the number of visitors, versus a group of forever adult polar bears.
Polar bears normally prey on ringed seals but they will also eat whales, other seals, birds, and walrus. They will occasionally eat plants, so it is not certain whether they are omnivores or complete carnivores. They survive off of the fat or blubber of their prey. Scientists believe they should eat vitamins A, D, and E. Which can be injected into some of the fish or meat they eat. Pregnant female polar bears consume all of the animal fat, skin, meat and blubber while normal polar bears eat primarily the fat. I will meet these nutritional needs by feeding them saltwater fish, bones, whole prey, and produce. These foods can be dry, raw, or gel and can be frozen into ice. Food can also be hidden, so the polar bear can find it. For dental health, soft meat is given first, dry meat second, fish/vegetables third, and lastly bones and chew items like hides that can be made into biscuits. In other aquariums and zoos, polar bears are fed one to two times a day in the early morning and afternoon, and so my exhibit will have them fed the same amount. Other aquariums and zoos also feed the polar bears carcasses, but they have to be careful so that there aren’t many if not any parasites that could make the polar bear sick. I will occasionally feed them carcasses but only before or after opening because not many little kids are going to want to see a seal or other creature being ripped apart with their guts and blood going everywhere.
The polar bear does have special care requirements. It is most tolerant of temperatures they change overtime. The exhibit will be on average 17.8 degrees Celsius. This is necessary because they are not adapted to the heat and could die. There needs to be a “bed” area where they sleep with extra bedding because they need to be comfortable at all times. Also the light needs to be minimal to mimic their habitat conditions but enough for animal caretakers to work and see everything. This is important because if the light is too bright or too dim, it could change the polar bear’s behavior and health. The last care requirement is land and water (like boulders or pits in the water) with different elevations. This is important because they can get exercise this way and also so they can feel comfortable in the exhibit.
The polar bears will need additional housing attached to the exhibit. There will need to be two rooms. One will be just in case the female polar bear gets pregnant and has a cub. They will stay in this room. There is also going to be another room for the polar bears when the caretakers need to clean out the exhibit or if one of them is sick. Polar bears are not afraid of humans which makes them dangerous and the caretakers at risk if they aren’t in another room. In the wild, the male polar bear does not help the female in raising the cub. In fact, if the male meets the cub, he might kill it. That is why it is necessary to keep the cub or cubs away from the male polar bear.
Part III “The Exhibit”
The exhibit will be 52.5 meters by 20 meters and 6 meters high so the polar bears will not be able to knock down lights or air conditioning vents on the ceiling. In the exhibit, there will be three different areas. The first is where the polar bears will spend most of their time. It will be 42.5 meters by 20 meters. This will be divided into two areas, the dry land and the water. The land which will be composed of both flat and elevated areas will be 32.5 meters by 20 meters, making it 650 square meters. I decided this because Manitoba Standards state that two polar bears must have 500 square meters of dry land and each additional polar bear must have another 150 square meters. In my exhibit, there are two adult polar bears and possibly two to three cubs. But, the cubs and the female will not interact with the male and be in the main area at the same time. Also cubs are a lot smaller and don’t require as much space. that is why I chose that amount of space for the dry area. There is also the water in the main area. It will be 10 meters by 20 meters, making it 200 square meters. I picked this size because the Polar Bear Protection Act starts that the pool must be at least 70 square meters. The pool will have a depth of 1.5 to 4.5 meters deep. According to laws, it must be at least 1.5 meters with a deep end of at least 3 meters. There will also be an additional two rooms attached to the exhibit. They will each be 10 meters by 10 meters, 100 square meters. I chose this size because it must at least be 75 square meters and I would like it to be a little bit bigger because one of them will serve as the maternity den for the female and the cubs.
There will be boundaries in the exhibit. There will be an underwater viewing area that will have glass windows in the shape of a tube that would be two inches thick as well as another viewing area on one of the sides that will also have a glass wall that will be two inches thick. The polar bear Protection act states that the barrier between the polar bear(s) and the people must be two inches thick. The roof and walls, except for the one wall that will be glass, will be made out of concrete so the bears cannot break through it. But the roof will also have squares of tinted glass that will be one meter by one meter. this allows natural sunlight to get in although artificial lights will also be used to illuminate dark areas or when the sun does not shine.
The landscape features of the exhibit include rocks, elevated areas, grass, and a pool. The rocks and elevate areas allow areas where the polar bears can climb and get exercise. This mimics thee mountainous terrain of the tundra. there will also be a big boulder in the water that the polar bear can climb up onto and stand on. This is similar to a glacier or an ice sheet in the water. In the tundra, there are mosses and lichen which can feel similar to grass. That is why grass will be used. It also is soft and can feel similar to snow. There will be a pool this relates to the tundra because polar bears are strong swimmers will often swim to catch their prey and to also get around if they cannot walk on the ice.
The vegetation in the exhibit will be limited to only grass. This is because in the tundra, there is little vegetation but there are mosses which can be similar to grass. There will be no trees or other vegetation because in the tundra it is too cold for them to grow as well as the permafrost which prevents roots from penetrating far into the soil.