Polar Bear Exhibit

March 17th, 2011.

The zoo's two Polar Bears, a brother-sister pair, will be 32 years of age in December and quite old for their species. The male is the oldest in North America for his gender and both are not expected to be around when the zoo constructs a modern Polar Bear habitat in the next few years. With several zoos opening brand-new or expanded Polar Bear exhibits in recent years (North Carolina, Buffalo, Louisville, Kansas City, Como Park, Henry Vilas, Lincoln Park next year, etc) it will be intriguing as to how Oregon will even find bears for its new enclosure. Point Defiance Zoo, only a couple of hours away from Oregon Zoo, is also planning to build a new Polar Bear exhibit but again there is the question of where the bears will come from. Oregon has its two very old bears and Point Defiance has one bear that is around 30 years of age and quite elderly and one bear that is approximately 20 years of age.

Less than 48 hours later and Oregon Zoo has already euthanized their elderly male bear Conrad.

Beloved polar bear Conrad is euthanized at Oregon Zoo | Oregon Zoo

Oregon Zoo will be receiving a new Polar Bear this fall to join the elderly bear still at the zoo. Nora, just born in November at Columbus Zoo, will be moving to Oregon in a few months and now Oregon has its bear that will occupy the future exhibit for hopefully a few decades.

This exhibit has gone to bulldozer-land.