Polar bear care
Caring for polar bears
As a zoo and aquarium accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, our keepers and veterinarians are experts at providing the highest quality of care for our polar bear Laerke.
Our dedicated keepers work hard to offer the Laerke a variety of enrichments every day — from wood wool and boomer balls to ice blocks and tasty treats — all designed to stimulate her senses and promote natural behaviors. She especially enjoys diving, swimming, and splashing in her deep saltwater pool, which is filtered straight from the Puget Sound. She is also a big fan of her kiddie pool, one of her favorite forms of enrichment, which she sometimes even carries over to the larger pool for more fun.
Meet the polar bear and the keepers who care for her daily at 1:30 p.m. in the Arctic Tundra area of the zoo.
Individualized care
Laerke’s start in life was difficult, requiring intensive care after a medical emergency shortly after birth, unlike her twin, Astra. Ongoing health issues meant she was hand-reared and later paired with Jebbie, an orphaned grizzly, for social development. Though she’s made progress, Laerke still has specific needs and receives personalized care.
Point Defiance Zoo is a certified Arctic Ambassador Center and partners with Polar Bears International to support polar bear research and conservation. Recent efforts include the “Burr on Fur” study, exploring bear-friendly tracking methods to better understand wild bear movements.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Laerke old enough to breed?
Laerke is 5 years old. Female polar bears become reproductively mature between 4-6 years old.
We have been testing her fecal hormone levels for the past year and have confirmed she is showing evidence of estrus cycling.
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Is Laerke going to breed?
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium follows breeding and transfer recommendations from the Polar Bear Population Alliance – a new consortium of AZA–accredited organizations focused on maintaining a sustainable, genetically diverse polar bear population in the United States.
Laerke is not breeding this season but may get future recommendations to do so.
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Why is Laerke spending time displaying atypical behavior?
Polar bear breeding season is typically March-May. Polar bear hormones spike during this season, and it is not uncommon to see an increase in atypical behavior associated with the elevated hormone levels.
Laerke’s start in life was far from typical and differed tremendously from her twin sister Astra. Just two days after birth, Laerke suffered a medical emergency that left her weak and in need of intensive, lifesaving care from the Detroit Zoo’s veterinary and animal care teams. While her sister Astra stayed with their mother, Laerke was hand reared because of her ongoing health concerns and later paired with Jebbie, an orphaned grizzly cub, to help her build social skills and gain a companion.
While Laerke has made great progress, she continues to be a bear with specific needs and has periods where she demonstrates repetitive, pouncing behavior. While pouncing is a natural behavior for polar bears, Laerke does it more than normal and it can be challenging to prevent her from doing it or to interrupt the behavior once it starts.
Laerke’s unique needs set her apart from other polar bears, and her dedicated keepers and veterinary team provide her with personalized care and extra one-on-one attention to support her overall wellbeing. Her health is closely monitored daily by the zoo’s board-certified head veterinarian and a committed veterinary team, who also collaborate with behavioral experts to ensure she receives the highest standard of care. The veterinary team measures her hormone levels and are relieved to see no biomarkers showing chronic stress.
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What is the staff doing to mitigate Laerke’s atypical behavior?
Animal care and veterinary staff closely monitor her behavior, including both in-person and remote video monitoring. They continue to try different options to mitigate her behavior, including training, enrichment, medication, and techniques such as red light therapy, which helps promote feelings of wellbeing.
Laerke eagerly participates in training and shows species-typical behaviors with her enrichment. Animal care and veterinary staff have been consulting with a board certified veterinary behavioralist to evaluate Laerke’s behavior and to make recommendations for her management and overall well-being.
In addition, Laerke has choice and control over where she wants to be in her home- sometimes in areas where you can’t see her.
