AnimalID

Name

5002

Polar Bear

LocationName:

Arctic

Origin:

Original ZT

PurchaseCost:

$1,500

RequiresResearch:

No

IsClimber:

No

IsJumper:

Yes

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Description:

Polar bears are found in all the northern polar regions, which include parts of Russia, Norway, Greenland, Canada, and Alaska.

Polar bears have enormous ranges, traveling an average of 5,500 miles a year or 15 miles a day.

Polar bears are genetically very similar to brown bears, and are considered to their direct descendants. It is believed that a population of brown bears was cut off by glacial movement during the Pleistocene era. Rather than dying out, they instead adapted to the harsh arctic environment.

Despite appearances, a polar bear's fur is not white. Each hair is actually colorless and transparent with a hollow core. Polar bears look white because the hollow core scatters and reflects visible light. Beneath their fur, their skin is actually black. Polar bears work hard to keep their fur clean. After feeding, they will head immediately for water to wash off. They will also groom themselves by licking their paws, chests, and muzzles.

Seals are the favorite food of polar bears. Their hunting technique relies more on stealth than on agility. A polar bear will lie patiently on the ice waiting for a seal to surface for air or will lunge suddenly out of the water to surprise a seal on the ice.

They are often hungry. Their large stomachs allow them to eat huge amounts when food is available so that they can go for weeks between meals if necessary. In captivity, polar bears consume a steady diet of fish and dried foods. Polar bears require a source of fresh water.

Amazing swimmers, polar bears are able to cover distances greater than 60 miles without resting, while maintaining an average speed of about 6 miles per hour. They are also excellent divers, able to remain submerged for up to two minutes and attain a depth of 15 feet.

Polar bears are solitary animals, only coming together with other bears during the spring mating season. The rest of the year, polar bears roam singly or in small family groups consisting of a mother and her young. These animals get very agitated when placed in the same exhibit as other animals.

March and April are the breeding season for polar bears. However, soon after a female bear becomes pregnant, the embryo stops developing for about six months. If the mother bear stores enough fat reserves to support a pregnancy, the embryo will then attach itself to the uterus and continue growing. Pregnant polar bear females are the only polar bears that hibernate for a long period. Cubs (usually two) are born in December or January while the mother is still sleeping. Newborn polar bear cubs are blind, hairless, and very small—approximately the size of a chipmunk. They are able to move just enough to begin nursing, as their mother continues to sleep. By the time the mother is ready to leave the den in the spring, the cubs will have grown to over 20 pounds and are able to accompany her. The cubs will normally stay with the mother for the first two and a half years.

Polar bears are extremely smart. One researcher has compared their intelligence to that of apes. In captivity, in addition to the snow, ice, and deep water they require, they respond well to more stimulating environments that also include areas of sand, grass, and hard ground. When not hunting, polar bears are playful creatures. When bored, agitated, or upset, polar bears will roar, pace, and swing

Attractiveness Adult:

Attractiveness Young:

Initial Happiness:

Habitat Preference:

50

150

60

70

Captivity:

Crowd:

CrowdHappiness Change:

ClimbsCliffs:

10

20

-5

Yes

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

To build a good animal exhibit you need to ask a few questions: (click them for the answers)

Which fence is suitable for this animal in terms of strength, if it can be climbed or jumped over?

How big should the exhibit be and what Terrain should be used?

What foliage should be used?

What rocks should be used?

What shelter does the animal need?

What toy does the animal like?

How deep should the exhibit be if using the "Pit Method"?

2 levels

FenceName

Purchase Cost

Height

Strength

Life

Cost Effective

Stick Pole Fence

$75

2

225

12

16.0

Stick Pole Window Fence

$75

2

225

12

16.0

Chain-link Fence

$70

2

200

10

14.3

Post and Rail Fence

$90

2

250

12

13.3

Wood Slat Window Fence

$110

2

240

12

10.9

Wooden Slat Fence

$110

2

240

12

10.9

Rock Wall Fence

$150

2

280

14

9.3

Rock Window Fence

$150

2

280

14

9.3

Concrete Chain Fence

$150

2

275

14

9.3

Plexiglas Fence

$150

2

270

13

8.7

Iron Bar Fence

$180

2

290

14

7.8

Concrete Fence

$200

2

300

15

7.5

Reinforced Concrete Fence

$225

3

460

16

7.1

Reinforced Concrete and Glass Fence

$225

3

420

15

6.7

Concrete and Iron Bar Fence

$240

3

440

15

6.3

Electrified Chain-link Fence

$300

3

480

18

6.0

Electrified Iron Bar Fence

$350

3

400

18

5.1

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Animal Density

Min

Number of Animals/Exhibit

Max

35

1

3

Terrain Name

Value

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Snow

50

18

35

53

70

88

105

123

140

158

175

Salt water

50

18

35

53

70

88

105

123

140

158

175

Rocks

4

6

11

17

22

28

34

39

45

50

56

Foliage

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Exhibit Size

100

35

70

105

140

175

210

245

280

315

350

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

TreeName

Foliage Effect

Cost/ Square

Cost Effective

none

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ID

Value

RockName

Size X

Size Y

Rock

Rock Effect

Purchase Cost

Cost Effective

9219

3

Small Snowy Rock

1

1

Yes

24

$75

32.0

9218

3

Medium Snowy Rock

1

1

Yes

24

$85

28.2

9220

6

Large Snowy Rock

2

2

Yes

9

$175

5.1

9221

6

Large Snowy Rock

2

2

Yes

9

$185

4.9

9211

7

Snowy Rock Formation

8

2

10

$700

1.4

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Shelter ID

Shelter Name

Shelter Value

Shelter Effect

Purchase Cost

Capacity

8102

Snowy Rock Cave 

25

15

$600

4

Yes

8109

Large Concrete Shelter

20

10

$225

6

Yes

8108

Concrete Shelter

19

9

$175

4

8112

Large Wood Shelter

18

8

$325

6

Yes

8107

Small Concrete Shelter

17

7

$125

2

8111

Wood Shelter

16

6

$225

4

8110

Small Wood Shelter

13

3

$175

2

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ToyID

ToyName

ToyValue

PurchaseCost

none

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

ReproductionChance:

High

SickChance:

10

ReproductionInterval(months):

5

SickChange:

-10

HappyReproduceThreshold:

90

DeathChance:

10

Offspring:

2

TimeDeath(months):

47

BabyToAdult(months):

5

SalinityChange:

SalinityHealthChange:

PooWaterImpact:

MurkyWaterThreshold:

MurkyWaterChange:

MurkyWaterHealthChange:

VeryMurkyWaterThreshold:

ExtremelyMurkyWaterThreshold

VeryMurkyWaterChange:

ExtremelyMurkyWaterChange

VeryMurkyWaterHealthChange:

ExtremelyMurkyWaterHealthChange:

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

Compatible Animals

Prey Animals

KeeperFoodType:

Fish

Giant Panda

Chimpanzee

Plains Zebra

Thomsons Gazelle

Gray Wolf

Olive Baboon

Mandrill

Lowland Gorilla

Red Kangaroo

Common Wildebeest

Ibex

Okapi

Moose

Gemsbok

American Bighorn Sheep

Giraffe

Dromedary Camel

Markhor

Greater Flamingo

Ostrich

California Sea Lion

Giant Anteater

African Warthog

Black Buck

Bongo

Sable Antelope

Man

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?