Polar bear
The Polar Bear is one of the largest land carnivores on land, along with the Kodiak Bear and the Elephant Seal: a large male can become 2 to 3 m long and weigh up to 800 kg. Females are smaller. Its yellowish-white fur is an excellent camouflage in its world of ice and snow: it also protects it from the cold thanks to a thick layer of fat.
He is an excellent swimmer, can sometimes be seen several kilometers in the open sea. Its favorite prey are seals, but they also eat fish and occasionally beluga whales and young walruses. The bear usually has two cubs every 3 years. The cubs, born in a den, drink very rich milk for a few months.
Global warming, particularly visible in arctic regions, seriously threatens the species due to the melting of the sea ice which reduces its hunting grounds. Scientists even predict its extinction at the end of the century.
There are 4 polar bears in Pairi Daiza
- Nuka (female) born November 26, 2016 in Aalborg Zoo (Denmark). Arrived in March 2020 in Pairi Daiza.
- Qilak (female) born November 26, 2016 in Aalborg Zoo (Denmark). Arrived in March 2020 in Pairi Daiza.
- Beliy (male) born November 28, 2015 in Izhevsk Zoo (Russia). Arrived in June 2020 in Pairi Daiza.
- Seriy (Beliy's brother).
A "Vulnerable" species
- Name: Polar bear
- Latin name: Ursus maritimus
- Origin: Arctic regions, islands and ice floes surrounding the North Pole
- IUCN status : Vulnerable
- Cites : Appendix II
Arctic Ambassador
The title of "Arctic Ambassador" has been awarded to the Pairi Daiza Foundation by Polar Bear International, the largest international organization for the protection of polar bears and their environment!
Being an Arctic Ambassador is first and foremost a recognition. This means that the 3 polar bears in Pairi Daiza are kept in optimal conditions, in their territory of the Land of the Cold. Their living space was indeed presented to one of the experts at Polar Bears International and got his full approval. The Park's numerous efforts in terms of sustainable development (water treatment, waste, short circuits and energy production) have also proven Pairi Daiza's commitment to the fight against global warming. .
Receiving this title of Arctic Ambassador is also a commitment. Pairi Daiza and the Pairi Daiza Foundation are committed to ensure the survival of polar bears in the Arctic, as well as that of other species in this region. How? By placing the fight against global warming at the heart of concerns, in the daily life of the Park but also by making visitors aware of the threats to biodiversity and the actions that everyone can put into practice.
