Favorite Object: Philadelphia Zoo

Polar Bears and Habitat
Both acquired by the Philadelphia Zoo in October 1981

This week's trip to the Philadelphia Zoo was enjoyable, relaxing, and fun. I have visited the zoo many times before throughout my childhood and my adult life, so it was also nice to come to a familiar and nostalgic place for our practicum this week. I have many favorite animals, and could never choose a favorite. For this assignment I went with the exhibit that is most engrained in my memory, and what comes to mind when I think of going to the Philadelphia Zoo. For me, it's the polar bears. The polar bear exhibit hasn't changed much since I was a child, and I remember being completely captivated by it as a kid. I think it’s the bright blue water, and how you can gain two different perspectives of the exhibit. During a visit as a kid, I remember the polar bears were swimming and playing in the water and being very active. They had a ball they were playing with, and I just remember us standing there by the blue glass and watching it for ages. Every time I go back to the zoo and go to the polar bears I always go to the underwater glass side first in hopes they are playing in the water. 

From the Philadelphia Zoo Website, I found how the zoo acquired their polar bears:

Klondike: Female, born November 23, 1980 at the Bronx Zoo in New York. She arrived at the Zoo on October 1, 1981. She weighs over 475 lbs.

Coldilocks: Female, born December 13, 1980 at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. She arrived at the Zoo on October 6, 1981. She is slightly smaller than Klondike, but still weighs over 450 lbs.

After reading this, I realized that both of these polar bears are 31 years old, and are the same polar bears I've seen since my childhood, which makes me even more excited to make them my favorite "object" this week. 

The polar bear pen is more unique than other pens at the zoo, and is the reason why it’s my favorite object. There are two distinct viewing areas: one on level with the ground land and the second lower with underwater views of the pool. There are large rocks and a waterfall and steps for the polar bears. I’ve seen the polar bears playing on the rock formation and in the waterfall as well. The underwater viewing area has rails and a few steps so many visitors can spend time in the area to view the action. It also allows the viewer to go right up to the glass. The upper level allows for a larger viewing of the pen and can see the polar bears up close while they are on the land. 

Pool viewing area

This exhibit is in "Bear Country" with the Andean Bear, Sloth Bear, and Asiatic Black Bear nearby. There are also two sign boards near the water viewing area. The one sign goes along with the zoo's mission of conservation and explains how in the 1970's an agreement was signed to protect the polar bears and in result the polar bear population has increased. However I was surprised to see no signs or information about recent trends in global climate change and shrinking ice caps and how the polar bear population has been affected. I believe this sign is out of date, because polar bear population trends have been drastically changing (some populations decreasing while only a few are increasing) in very recent decades.

 

Fields of study to increase my understanding of the polar bear would be zoology and biology. More recently though, I think a greater understanding of global climate change and the Arctic Circle and the changes it is undergoing. In my personal experience of teaching about climate change and environmental sciences, Polar bears are a popular talking point of the global climate change debate and students and children connect and understand the impact of the shrinking ice caps have on the polar bear population and want to help in some way. Also on the Philadelphia Zoo website, the Life on Ice blog provides field research being done by a Philadelphia Zoo staff member. 

Those who may not be interested in this object would be those who are afraid of bears. Those who would not be interested in having a discussion about polar bears would be those who don't feel as those climate change is real and affecting our planet. 

Opposing views would find that this environment is not the natural environment of the polar bears and they should not be living here in Philadelphia, or if they are able to adapt to conditions in Philadelphia, why can't the polar bears in the Arctic Circle adapt to increasing temperatures and shrinking ice caps.

The zoo does focus on conservation and does offer a lot of programming on polar bears and conservation efforts to help the polar bears.  The Zoo on Wheels outreach program has an Animal Action Lab with a focus choice on Polar Bears. The field experience blog also engages viewer. More ideas would be to put up new text panels about shrinking ice caps, and use education demo carts to show more about the lives of polar bears.