Madison Zoo set to welcome new polar bear Nora

Dane County’s Henry Vilas Zoo will welcome a new polar bear this year as a part of a national effort to protect the threatened species. 

The zoo is working with the Oregon Zoo to transfer Nora, a 9-year-old female polar bear, to Madison. She will join Berit, the zoo’s 26-year-old female, before eventually being paired with a male in hopes she can raise cubs. 

Henry Vilas Zoo is part of the Polar Bear Population Alliance, a new consortium of Association of Zoos and Aquariums–accredited organizations, which sponsored the bear move. The alliance aims to maintain a sustainable, genetically diverse polar bear population in the United States. Polar bears are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as their Arctic habitat continues to shrink.

“This polar bear move is a tremendous step forward towards helping the overall polar bear population,” Executive Zoo Director Ronda Schwetz said. “Our award-winning polar bear habitat was built with cubs in mind and our animal care team has the experience needed to provide Nora with the best possible care.”

AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums support polar bear survival in two ways: by backing conservation work in the Arctic and by sustaining a healthy population in professional care. Amy Cutting, vice president of conservation at Polar Bears International, said both approaches are crucial in a press release on Tuesday.

“Modern zoos and aquariums play a key part in saving this species,” Cutting said. “Polar bears live in one of the harshest environments on the planet, making them notoriously difficult to study. We have gaps in our understanding of how climate action is affecting them. The bears in professional care can help.”

Nora has already advanced polar bear research. Scientists used her help to calibrate a laser that measures body mass, study caloric needs with a swim flume and test tracking technology known as the “Burr on Fur.”

Henry Vilas conservationists described zoo bears as “Arctic ambassadors,” connecting visitors with the realities of climate change and wildlife loss. Cutting said the animals often deliver those messages to audiences who might not otherwise hear them.

Born in 2015 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Nora survived a difficult start. When her mother began leaving her alone in the den, keepers stepped in to hand-rear her, feeding her with a bottle until she grew strong enough to eat solid food.

“I am so proud of all the work the staff at the Henry Vilas Zoo has done to support polar bear conservation and get us to this point,” Dane County Executive Melissa Agard said. “This is going to be an exciting year for our zoo and we look forward to welcoming Nora in the next few months and hopefully polar bear cubs in the near future.”

Henry Vilas Zoo, one of only 10 free AZA-accredited facilities worldwide, remains free to the public. The zoo focuses on animal care, conservation and education, working with global partners to promote sustainability and engage communities in protecting the natural world.

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