SNOW FALLS IN JULY AT SAN DIEGO ZOO

The San Diego Zoo's three polar bears were greeted by 18 tons of snow and lots of smiling donors when they walked into their exhibit this morning. Kalluk, the male, quickly bounded to the top of one snow mound and spread himself flat as a pancake, rubbing and wiggling in the snow. Females Tatqiq and Chinook started digging in the snow and eating the icy treat that filled their habitat. Soon, they were wrestling with each other, diving into their pool and belly-crawling across the slippery ice. The bears even found some of their other toys and buried them in holes they dug in the snow.

     More than 90 donors contributed a total of $5100 to the Zoo's online Animal Care Wish List to provide the special enrichment activity for the bears. The wish list is like an online gift registry for animals at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It is updated monthly and can be found at sandiegozoo.org/wishlist.

     Polar Bear Plunge was renovated in 2010 to show how polar bears live in the Arctic and addresses the threats they're facing due to climate change. Guests have the chance to walk in the paw prints of the largest bears on Earth and learn how they survive in the harsh Arctic climate, what -and how much - they eat and how humans can improve the species' chances of survival.

     The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections.  The Zoo also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park (historically referred to as the Wild Animal Park), which includes a 900-acre native species reserve, and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research.  The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.