The St. Louis Zoo will welcome a 5-year-old female polar bear this fall as part of a national effort to support the species' future.
Laerke, arriving from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, will join Kallu, a nearly 4-year-old male polar bear. The bears are being paired with the hope they will produce cubs in the future.
The move is part of the Polar Bear Population Alliance, a consortium of accredited zoos and aquariums working to maintain a sustainable, genetically diverse polar bear population in the United States.
Laerke is expected to make her public debut at McDonnell Polar Bear Point after a quarantine and adjustment period. Visitors likely won't be able to see the bears together until early next year.
"Polar bears are facing serious challenges to their survival," Julie Hartell-DeNardo, curator of carnivores, said in a statement. "Polar bears in zoos not only inspire connection and conservation action, they also play a valuable role in helping experts understand their species' biology and behaviors."
Laerke experienced medical complications shortly after her birth at the Detroit Zoo in November 2020. Veterinarians have monitored her hormone levels over the past year, and results show she has begun reproductive cycling.
Polar bears are classified as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, largely because climate change is reducing Arctic sea ice and making it harder for them to find prey. Recent research shows that up to two-thirds of the global population could disappear by the end of this century.
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