You were HOW close to a feeding bear?
I got to see the off-exhibit polar bear enclosures at the San Diego Zoo this morning. They rarely take groups back there because the space is really tiny, but I pulled some strings with my connections as a major donor and it was arranged for me and a few friends.
I was about 2 feet away from Chinook as she fed from the hand of one of the keepers:
Note that her fingers never go past the bars of the access tunnel. Chinook has to grab the hamburger and veggies from her hand using her tongue.
Special news not widely known yet: They think Chinook might be pregnant!
It might be a while before they know for sure because polar bears are capable of delayed gestation if the mother doesn't want to be pregnant yet... females can keep their fertlized eggs from developing for up to a year, choosing the best time to let the embryo mature. This helps the mother ensure that she has eaten enough to last through the several months of denning and nursing the newborns without starving.
I will be SO jazzed if Chinook is really pregnant and there will be new cub(s) at the zoo. If they have a new cub (or two) to show off, they will go so overboard with polar bear merchandise, it will be good pickings. ;)
In other news, I fed the giraffes in their new enclosure, too:
My small group of friends walked around for the rest of the morning, breaking up around 12:30. I had to get back home and shower to meet a couple other friends who were taking me to lunch.
It was a good day.
I was about 2 feet away from Chinook as she fed from the hand of one of the keepers:
Note that her fingers never go past the bars of the access tunnel. Chinook has to grab the hamburger and veggies from her hand using her tongue.
Special news not widely known yet: They think Chinook might be pregnant!
It might be a while before they know for sure because polar bears are capable of delayed gestation if the mother doesn't want to be pregnant yet... females can keep their fertlized eggs from developing for up to a year, choosing the best time to let the embryo mature. This helps the mother ensure that she has eaten enough to last through the several months of denning and nursing the newborns without starving.
I will be SO jazzed if Chinook is really pregnant and there will be new cub(s) at the zoo. If they have a new cub (or two) to show off, they will go so overboard with polar bear merchandise, it will be good pickings. ;)
In other news, I fed the giraffes in their new enclosure, too:
My small group of friends walked around for the rest of the morning, breaking up around 12:30. I had to get back home and shower to meet a couple other friends who were taking me to lunch.
It was a good day.