Polar Frontier Exhibit : Overview
The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium (the Zoo) opened its new Polar Frontier exhibit on May 6, 2010. This exhibit portrays the Arctic environment and features twin polar bear sisters (Aurora and Anana), a family of Arctic fox, and two Alaskan brown bears, Brutus and Buckeye, along with an interpretive building housing interactive games and educational displays, and an Arctic-themed play area.
The polar bear twins' new 1.3-acre yard is specially designed for polar bears - with lots of rocks, two pools, smell ports, dig pits, and shelters. Their pool holds about 167,000 gallons of water and has viewing areas where visitors can watch the bears from above, at eye-level, and from below.
Brutus and Buckeye, born in 2004 in Alaska, also share a yard that was specifically designed to handle their inquisitiveness and strength. In fact, the plan was to allow the polar bears and brown bears to exchange yards, from time to time, as enrichment. They too enjoy a pool stocked with fish, and a nice cave for a cool and shady retreat.
Battelle Ice Bear Outpost
The interpretive building with games and other helpful information includes visual displays about research from BPRC scientists who have investigated Arctic climate, both past and present.
Scientists from three research groups at BPRC contributed information to help visitors understand how we learn about the pre-historic climate of this region, and how modern technology enables us to gather and interpret the data.
Scott Hall 