Do polar bear twins look exactly the same? You’ll soon have the chance to find out at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The zoo is making final preparations to welcome young polar bear twins Astra and Laerke, 2-year-olds who are being transferred from the Detroit Zoo. Zookeepers say the pair are “high-energy and playful.”
What’s the story behind the transfer? It comes on the recommendations of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and its polar bear population experts. Zoos around the world collaborate to ensure the best possible outcomes for the animals. Astra and Laerke were born in Detroit on Nov. 17, 2020. Just two days after her birth, Laerke suffered a medical emergency – separating her from her sister and leaving her weak and in need of lifesaving care.
Photo by Patti Truesdell
Cubs reunited
The cubs were apart for more than two years but were reunited this spring at the Detroit Zoo’s Arctic Ring of Life habitat. They have been inseparable ever since. Point Defiance Zoo officials point out that Astra and Laerke are at an age when they would be living on their own in the wild, away from their mother. From that perspective, the timing for moving them to Washington is natural and necessary for their continued development.“
“Astra and Laerke each have an incredible story,” Malia Somerville, interim general curator for Point Defiance Zoo, said in a release. “Our animal care and veterinary teams have decades of experience caring for polar bears, and we are looking forward to introducing the sisters to our community here in Tacoma – where we will help them grow in their new home.”
A return of polar bears to Tacoma
Point Defiance Zoo has been a home to polar bears for more than 80 years and, along with the Detroit Zoo, is certified by Polar Bears International as an Arctic Ambassador Center. Blizzard, a bear who arrived at the Tacoma facility in 1997 died one year ago this month leaving the zoo without this species until the upcoming transfer.
Polar bears are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission has designated the species as facing a high risk of global extinction.
CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE TWINS ASTRA AND LAERKE PLAYING.
A threatened species
“We know Astra and Laerke will be warmly welcomed to Point Defiance Zoo,” Somerville said. “Our guests, staff, and volunteers have been eager to see polar bears return, as they have always inspired our community to take action in their own lives to reduce their carbon footprint and help protect polar bears in the wild. Polar bears need sea ice to survive, but the seasonal ice they depend on is shrinking due to climate warming.”
Officials at Point Defiance say they do not yet have a date for when zoo visitors will be able to see the new bears. To track the progress of these newest members of the Point Defiance Zoo, go to Zoo News, the zoo’s blog.
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