Polar bear Inuka moves into new home
Singapore-born polar bear Inuka now has a brand new home at the Singapore Zoo.
From a climate controlled "ice cave" to a three-metre deep dive pool with a giant "ice block", Inuka's home just got plusher.
The enclosure is part of the zoo's new Frozen Tundra exhibit which opened on Wednesday.
It seems the 22-year-old polar bear is delighted about his new home.
Chief Life Sciences Officer at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Dr Cheng Wen-Haur explained: "I think he is thrilled with the brand new habitat. It is much bigger than his old place. He has got a very big land area, over 600 square metres. And very importantly, he has got a very big (and deep) pool. The first time we released him, he went to the deep end… and he really enjoyed it."
The habitat is the size of about two-and-a-half basketball courts and four times the size of his previous home.
Animal lovers who like to see Inuka in his ice cave will have to bear with the cold.
The viewing gallery is about 17 to 18 degree Celsius, the same temperature as what Inuka is experiencing in his cave.
Dr Cham Tud Yinn, who is the exhibit's design and development director, said: "The challenge is to balance the needs of the animal and the people - visitors who enjoy the exhibit and people who maintain the exhibit.
"Too big a space may not be good for visitors because they can't see the bear half the time. We have to make sure that it is easy to clean and maintain and we have to employ very advance filtration system to make sure the water is crystal clear all the time."
And what is a new home without some new neighbours.
One of them is a brother-sister pair of wolverines brought in from a Russian zoo. These fierce carnivores are known to be able to take on animals more than 10 times their weight.
Two raccoon dogs that are native to East Asia are the other new kids in the house.
The Frozen Tundra exhibit is open from 8.30am to 6pm daily.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Singapore-born polar bear Inuka now has a brand new home at the Singapore Zoo.
From a climate controlled "ice cave" to a three-metre deep dive pool with a giant "ice block", Inuka's home just got plusher.
The enclosure is part of the zoo's new Frozen Tundra exhibit which opened on Wednesday.
It seems the 22-year-old polar bear is delighted about his new home.
Chief Life Sciences Officer at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Dr Cheng Wen-Haur explained: "I think he is thrilled with the brand new habitat. It is much bigger than his old place. He has got a very big land area, over 600 square metres. And very importantly, he has got a very big (and deep) pool. The first time we released him, he went to the deep end… and he really enjoyed it."
The habitat is the size of about two-and-a-half basketball courts and four times the size of his previous home.
Animal lovers who like to see Inuka in his ice cave will have to bear with the cold.
The viewing gallery is about 17 to 18 degree Celsius, the same temperature as what Inuka is experiencing in his cave.
Dr Cham Tud Yinn, who is the exhibit's design and development director, said: "The challenge is to balance the needs of the animal and the people - visitors who enjoy the exhibit and people who maintain the exhibit.
"Too big a space may not be good for visitors because they can't see the bear half the time. We have to make sure that it is easy to clean and maintain and we have to employ very advance filtration system to make sure the water is crystal clear all the time."
And what is a new home without some new neighbours.
One of them is a brother-sister pair of wolverines brought in from a Russian zoo. These fierce carnivores are known to be able to take on animals more than 10 times their weight.
Two raccoon dogs that are native to East Asia are the other new kids in the house.
The Frozen Tundra exhibit is open from 8.30am to 6pm daily.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
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