Two Down for International Polar Bear Day!

by giraffe keeper, Vicki Hodge

Hi all! February 27 is International Polar Bear Day. A few years ago, the Buffalo Zoo launched an initiative for local schools to help celebrate the day, and do some conservation for polar bears at the same time. We called it Bundle up for Polar Bears! The challenge was to raise awareness about climate change which affects polar bears, by reducing carbon emissions through the simple act of lowering the thermostat a few degrees. If every school in Western New York participated, the combined amount would be significant. Polar Bears International liked our idea so much that they adopted it and changed the name to the Thermostat Challenge which they now do on the every International Polar Bear Day!

We want to do our part to help the cause, so here is what were asking everyone to do. Along with our schools and the Zoo, you can turn the heat down 1 or 2 degrees at home or in your work place this Saturday, February 27. For example, we will turn the heat down from 65°F to 63°F in the giraffe house and other places throughout the Zoo.

All you need to do to take part is set your thermostat down and put on an extra sweater or sweat shirt for the day. You probably won't even notice the difference in temperature. It's easy! Then you can say you helped save the polar bears and their sea ice! If that is not incentive enough, on average if you turn back your heat 2 degrees for 8 hours, you can save 1% on your fuel usage and that means more $$$$ in your pocket!

Buffalo Zoo Will Offer Admission Discount During February

The Buffalo Zoo has partnered with First Niagara Bank to offer a reduced admission rate during the month of February.

From February 1 through 29, admission to the Zoo will cost only $5 per person (admission for members is always free). The Zoo is calling the promotion “Polar Bear Days” in recognition of International Polar Bear Day, which is celebrated on February 27.

The Buffalo Zoo will celebrate International Polar Bear Day on February 27 by issuing a “thermostat challenge.” In order to raise awareness about climate change, the Zoo will encourage the community to reduce carbon emissions by turning their thermostats down a few degrees. This is the kind of small change that can have a big impact on climate change, and help to save polar bears in the wild.

“First Niagara is proud to partner with the Buffalo Zoo and support their efforts to enhance conservation, education and environmental initiatives in our community,” said Scott Fisher, First Niagara Managing Director of Retail Channels. “We encourage the public to visit the Zoo in the month of February and see all that the Zoo has to offer.”

The Polar Bear Days admission discount will encourage the community to enjoy the Zoo’s new exhibit, Arctic Edge, presented by Tops Friendly Markets, in colder weather; and to observe the animals, including the popular polar bears, in the snow.

For more information about Zoo’s Polar Bear Days promotion, visit the Zoo’s Facebook page.

The promotion is made possible through generous support from First Niagara Bank.

So Long, Kali!

As we prepare to say goodbye to Kali the polar bear, we have been getting lots of questions about why he has to go, and hearing concerns about separating Kali from Luna. Keeper Caitlyn Bruce, who works with both bears, took some time to explain why Kali is leaving, and how she knows he'll be just fine in his new home.

Keeper Caitlyn Bruce with Luna as a small cub. Photo by Kelly Ann Brown

I'll never forget the first time I saw Kali almost two years ago. He was 65 lbs of white fluff and I thought to myself "I can't believe this little thing is going to grow up to be a massive predator!" Kali was nervous when he first arrived at the Buffalo Zoo and that was understandable; a lot of dramatic things had already happened to him in the first few months of his life. Now, he was here and I knew this was the beginning of stability for him, and the perfect opportunity for us to help him learn the self confidence he was so in need of.

Kali was a cute cub! Photo by John Gomes

The first step towards building that self confidence was putting him together with Luna. Everyone is already well aware of how well that went and how famously those two cubs got along! This was wonderful for many reasons, but the most important reason of all was because having Luna and Kali together at this young and formative stage taught them lessons in a way that no other experience or training by any zookeeper could. It taught them how to interact and behave with other bears, a skill that is crucial for them to learn early if there is ever any hope for either of them to successfully breed in the future.

Luna has always been very confident and adjusted well to any situation she has been in. Kali found comfort in her and would follow her wherever she would go. They spent endless hours playing and interacting like the "kids" they were. Watching them grow was made very obvious simply by the sheer size increase that seemed to happen before our eyes. Kali went from being smaller than Luna to much MUCH larger. Something more was happening during those days though. As Kali's size increased, his self confidence did as well. He started to play and occupy himself without Luna as he became more and more independent. This was exactly what we were all hoping to see happen. After all, bears are solitary creatures. There are a few different scenarios where you might see bears together. Those include a mother with cubs, siblings that have JUST left their mother, males and females during breeding season, or a group of bears aggregating around a large food source like a whale carcass. As a rule, though, almost all adult bears would much rather live by themselves, even in captivity.

Kali now weighs over 800 lbs! Photo by Kelly Ann Brown

Luna and Kali are about two and a half years old now. If they were still with their mothers, this is about the time they would be weaned and start out by themselves. Therefore, it is our responsibility to help them in this natural progression to their adulthood. Although I would love to be able to continue to work with Kali and watch firsthand as he matures and grows into a full grown bear, I am confident that the St. Louis Zoo will provide him with an environment where he will absolutely flourish. They have just completed the construction of a brand new polar bear exhibit and staff members have already come to Buffalo to visit with Kali and get to know him. He will have an outstanding home and be extremely well cared for. He will be without Luna, but soon will prefer it that way anyway, just as Luna will prefer to be by herself. This is also why once Luna's mother, Anana, comes back to the Buffalo Zoo, they will most likely not be placed together either. It is the goal of a zookeeper to keep the animals they care for as happy, healthy, and stress free as they possibly can be. It is very likely that putting Luna and Anana together would cause a much greater amount of stress and possible injury to each other than it would bring any enjoyment for them!

It's only natural that we all feel some sadness seeing Kali move to another zoo. After all, we watched him grow up. However, I hope that everyone also feels proud of him too. I certainly do! The growth he has shown, not just physically but in his personality and self confidence, has been more than we could have ever hoped for. He has matured so much and I'm sure will handle this new phase of his life quite well. He is on his way to becoming a big handsome adult bear and no matter where he is, will always be a part of the Buffalo family.

Luna Updates!

Luna the polar bear is recovering from an injury she sustained during a fall this summer.

The popular polar bear cub fractured the ankle joint in her left rear leg. The Zoo’s veterinarian, Dr. Kurt Volle, with assistance from veterinary surgeons from Sheridan Animal Hospital, performed the surgeries to repair the fracture. Luna has spent the time since her fall recovering in the Zoo’s veterinary hospital, where vet staff could monitor her progress and restrict her movements.

Luna's hind leg was shaved in preparation for procedures to repair her fractured leg bone. A patch of her front leg was shaved to administer an IV. Photo Credit: Kelly Ann Brown/Buffalo Zoo

Last week, Luna was returned to the holding area adjacent to the temporary exhibit space that the polar bears share with the tigers. She was reintroduced to her playmate, Kali, and the two celebrated their second birthdays together with special cakes from their keepers.

Luna celebrated her 2nd birthday with a special ice treat "cake" from her keepers. Photo credit: Kelly Ann Brown/Buffalo Zoo

The polar bear cubs are no longer the small, fluffy cubs they once were. Luna’s current weight is around 440 lbs, and Kali is a whopping 770 lbs. The average adult male polar bear weighs between 800 and 1,200 lbs. Females are usually smaller, weighing between 400 and 800 lbs.

Luna will remain off exhibit until her balance and use of her hind leg are fully restored, to avoid the risk of another injury.

Luna the Polar Bear Recovering After Fall

Luna the polar bear is recovering at the Buffalo Zoo after falling into a moat over the weekend.

The polar bear fell into the exhibit’s protective moat on Saturday afternoon. Luna was anesthetized, and a team of keepers were able to carry her out of the moat and transport her to the Zoo’s veterinary hospital. The Zoo’s veterinarian, Dr. Kurt Volle, took X-rays and determined that Luna had fractured her tibia and fibula above the ankle joint on her left rear leg. She sustained no other injuries from the fall. A pair of board certified veterinary surgeons from Sheridan Animal Hospital performed surgery to repair the fracture on Sunday.

Luna is recovering in the Zoo’s veterinary hospital. Zoo staff reports that she is alert and eating, and that she is able to walk. Luna will remain off exhibit for several weeks to restrict her movement while her leg heals.

The Buffalo Zoo Wants You to Power Down for Polar Bears

The Buffalo Zoo is launching a new initiative called “Power Down for Polar Bears” to reduce the community’s carbon footprint.

The initiative was developed to encourage the Western New York community to participate in the global “Earth Hour” movement. Earth Hour will take place on March 29 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Zoo’s “PowerDown for Polar Bears” event will run for a full week from March 23 – March 29 to encourage maximum participation.

Participation is easy! Schools and classrooms, local businesses, and individuals or families can get involved. During “Power Down for Polar Bears” week, participants should shut off any non-essential lights, appliances, or electronics for at least one hour. Consuming less energy is one easy way to reduce carbon emissions, and slow the melting of sea ice. Polar bears in the wild depend on sea ice to survive.

Anyone who participates will be entered in a drawing to win a Zoo experience when they register their actions on the Zoo’s website. The categories and prizes are as follows:

• Classroom/School – win a polar bear education program at your school
• Business – win a Zoomobile visit for an upcoming staff event
• Family/Individual – win a one year Buffalo Zoo Supporting Level membership

Click here to register your participation and be entered to win!

Check out the video about the Earth Hour movement, below.

Celebrate International Polar Bear Day!

International Polar Bear Day is celebrated on February 27 every year. It serves as a day for everyone to take a little time to think about how our actions affect polar bears in the wild. As an arctic ambassador center the Buffalo Zoo wants to encourage people within our community to take action to reduce their carbon emissions today. The easiest thing you can do is turn your thermostat down just a degree or two!

Image courtesy of PolarBearsInternational.com. © Daniel J. Cox/Natural Exposures

Zoo employees have committed to doing five things at work today. These are simple actions that you can take at home too! Today, every Zoo employee will:

1. Turn off lights when they aren't needed
2. Recycle at least one item
3. Use reusable mugs and water bottles instead of purchasing to-go cups or bottled beverages
4. Not idle vehicles
5. Power down computers at the end of the day

These may sound like small meaningless actions, but we know that they add up to big change. We encourage all employees do them not just today, but every day! The Buffalo Zoo hopes that you'll make small changes too, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. When we all make small changes, we can have a big impact on climate change, and help to protect the arctic ice that polar bears need to survive!

For more information about International Polar Bear Day, and how you can get involved, check out Polar Bears International.

BuffaLoveFest Vendor Profile - Luna Bear Designs

You've probably heard about our friend, 7-year-old Aly, who is making and selling jewelry for the Our Bears Belong in Buffalo campaign. Her Luna-inspired designs have already raised over $2,000 for the campaign to help build the new Arctic Edge exhibit and keep Luna in Buffalo. While Aly can't attend the 21 and up event, her mom Tracey will be at BuffaLoveFest selling the Luna Bear Designs jewelry. Be sure to stop by and say hi!

How do you embody “BuffaLove?”
I have lived in Buffalo, NY my whole life and am happy to be raising my family here.  The business my daughter and I started to raise money for the Bear Campaign has only reinforced my love of the area.  I am blown away by the generosity of Western New Yorkers who have fully embraced our efforts by donating not only money by buying our Luna Jewelry, but also their time in continuing to promote the business.

What do you consider your claim to fame?
My 7-year old daughter Aly wanted to raise money for the Zoo.  She drew all of the original designs that our pieces are based on.  In the short time that our web store has been live (since April 9, 2013) Luna Bear Designs has been featured on Winging It Buffalo Style, Channel 2 Daybreak and we were hosted by Buffalo Adore in South Buffalo for an entire day of fundraising.

What is your favorite animal at the Buffalo Zoo and why?
Well, we’re partial to Luna right now, but we love all the zoo animals – some of our favorites are the elephants, Isaac the donkey and the ray in the gorilla house.  The Rainforest is always changing – for as often as we go, there is always something new and wonderful to see.

What are you selling at BuffaLoveFest on May 31st?
Jewelry inspired by Luna and her fabulous name. 

How does your business contribute to our community?
A generous portion of the proceeds are being donated to the Buffalo Zoo Bear Campaign. 

Check back here for more vendor profiles leading up to BuffaLoveFest on Friday, May 31! You can find more vendors featured by our pals at The Good Neighborhood!

Don't have your tickets to BuffaLoveFest yet? Get them here.

BuffaLoveFest Vendor Profile - Buffalo History Buff

Our goal for the inaugural BuffaLoveFest at the Buffalo Zoo is to showcase all things Buffalo, and to celebrate our Buffalo pride! The fine folks at Buffalo History Buff embody that spirit with their posters of retro Buffalo company advertisements.

1. How do you embody "BuffaLove?"
Buffalo History Buff is very much the manifestation of our love for Buffalo. Our mission is to remind Buffalonians, near and far, of how great our city once was and continues to be. Our prints of restored vintage local advertisements flash back to a time when Buffalo was the industrial center of the United States of America. Our images educate, entertain and inspire, but most of all provide ourselves and our customers with opportunity to show pride in our city, the Buffalo we all love.

2. What do you consider to be your claim to fame?
While Buffalo History Buff is far from famous, our love of our city and its history evolved from the love of our home and studio. We are lucky enough to live and work from Allentown's Coatsworth mansion. Our house has appeared in the newspaper, magazines and even in the book "City of Light". We hope that our upcoming participation in the Buffalo Zoo's BuffaLoveFest and the exposure to the hundreds of Buffa-lovers in attendance will allow Buffalo History Buff to enjoy some of the same "fame" as its inspiration.

3. What is your favorite animal at the Buffalo Zoo and why?
While the majority of the attention may currently be on the cubs, our favorite animals at the Buffalo Zoo are all of our polar bears. Our polar bears and their habitat requirements are the catalyst for the Buffalo Zoo's current, and most ambitious renovation project. The new Arctic Edge exhibit will be a beacon of pride and progress, and has already been the impetus for the "Our Bears Belong in Buffalo" campaign, with billboards and commercials not just reminding us to help, but to also be proud of the Buffalo Zoo. Recently, when visiting the Zoo with our three small children, we were lucky enough to see the future parents of Luna spend some quality time cuddling. These amazingly enormous beasts deserve not only our respect, but our adoration.

4. How does your business contribute to our community?
Our mission is all about community pride. Whenever people view our images, inevitably somebody says something to the affect of "I didn't know there was this much in Buffalo". Buffalo was once the eighth most populous city in the United States. Buffalonians have now established communities all over the country. In a sense, Buffalonians are very much our own immigrant ethnicity in many cities. Every national story seems to have a Buffalo connection. Our goal is simply to perpetuate the civic pride that exists within all Buffalonians; whether or not you've fled the snow, we all share Buffa-Love!


Check back here for more vendor profiles leading up to BuffaLoveFest on Friday, May 31! You can find more vendors featured by our pals at The Good Neighborhood!

Don't have your tickets to BuffaLoveFest yet? Get them here.