On November 12, 1995, Klondike and Snow -- polar bear cubs abandoned at birth and hand-raised by caring professionals at the Denver Zoo -- arrived safely in their new home at Sea World of Florida's Wild Arctic attraction. The bears were welcomed at the park at 8:45 p.m. Sunday evening and by 9:30 p.m. were making themselves comfortable in their spacious den behind the scenes. The one-year-old "juvenile" brother and sister weighed in at 290 and 220 pounds, respectively.
Wild Arctic's staff of dedicated animal experts are strongly committed to the animals in their care. Each team member tending to Klondike and Snow was hand-picked for their knowledge and expertise, and their dedication goes well beyond what is required for any job. Sea World is delighted to have the bears join the Sea World family, to give them the best care available, and to share the thrill of knowing and learning about them with millions of people.
Klondike and Snow's home at the attraction's Base Station Wild Arctic is state of the art, combining the best features from the world's finest polar bear habitats. It was custom-designed to be an exceptionally stimulating and enriching home for these adventuresome animals. They will enjoy playing together, climbing on rocky outcroppings, foraging for food hidden all around, catching live fish, napping in their "den", and swimming and diving in a vast pool of salty 50-degree water. At Wild Arctic, guests embark on a simulated helicopter journey to reach this realistic slice of the frozen north where they enjoy up-close, real-life encounters with beluga whales, walruses and harbor seals, in addition to polar bears. Wild Arctic premiered at Sea World to wide acclaim earlier this year and is the most ambitious attraction opened in the park's 21-year history.
Even before Klondike and Snow were born, experts at the Denver Zoo knew the cubs may eventually need to go to another zoological park. With seven bears in their care, including Klondike and Snow, space was very limited and it would be far from an ideal life for the cubs when they reached adulthood.
The cubs and the two adult polar bears already in residence will be alternating in pair throughout the day between the attraction's indoor habitat in guests' view and dens with natural sunlight located behind the scenes.
Cared for by three veterinarians and 10 Wild Arctic team members, the young polar bears will eat a balanced diet -- replenished several times daily -- of such whole fish as herring, mackerel and salmon; commercially prepared carnivore dry food; suet (fat); and fruit and raisin snacks. Most food is randomly hidden to challenge the animal's natural foraging instincts, and the bears use their predatory abilities to catch their own steelhead trout in the habitat's chilly waters.
The bears and their polar neighbors are the center of attention at the two-story attraction. Guests appreciate the chance to learn more about them by participating in interactive polar research and witness animal behavioral demonstrations conducted by Base Station Wild Arctic team members.
Each aspect of Wild Arctic represents decades of planning and commitment and the hope that two additional goals may be reached: Assisting international researchers in defining husbandry parameters for Arctic marine life and educating Sea World guests about the need to conserve and protect these species and their polar environment.
Wild Arctic underscores the ongoing commitment by Sea World, to open windows of discovery to the mysteries of the sea and promote environmental conservation. It is hoped that moments spent at Sea World will inspire in guests a lifelong quest to conserve and protect marine life.
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