Nearly a year ago, we "dawwwwed" over photos of the Buffalo Zoo's new polar bear cub Luna. Now Luna and her buddy Kali are getting a new home, thanks to some help from Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo announced that the zoo broke ground on the new $14 million exhibit for the pair of bears as well as other Arctic animals. The Governor's NY Work program kicked in $750,000 for the project (other sources include $3 million from Erie County and $1.085 million from the City of Buffalo, plus money from local officials). Cuomo said, "Today’s groundbreaking on a new state-of-the-art habitat for Buffalo’s polar bear cubs is the culmination of efforts by the State, Erie County and the City of Buffalo. As the most visited tourist destination in Erie County, the Buffalo Zoo is a major asset in our efforts to boost tourism in Upstate New York. This new exhibit will help attract even more visitors to Buffalo, while enhancing visitors’ experience to the Zoo. We are pleased to be able to keep Luna and Kali in Buffalo and welcome New Yorkers and tourists to come visit their new home."
The zoo, which is the third oldest in the country, has had a polar bear exhibit since the 1890s but hasn't made many changes to it. The new Arctic Edge exhibit will be have 60,000 square feet—more than enough room for two big exhibits for the polar bears plus three smaller ones for the arctic wolf, bald eagle and Canadian lynx. A press release from the Governor's office adds, "The landscape will be naturalistic and will include two large saltwater pools, natural boulders and a variety of substrates. A sophisticated Life Support System (LSS) will be utilized to maintain high water quality. Underwater viewing will enable visitors to get an up-close look at the bears’ swimming styles, natural behaviors and playful antics. "
Luna was born at the zoo in November 2013. Last May, Kali, a male cub at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, was flown to Buffalo to be Luna's pal. Kali was orphaned when a hunter killed his mother (polar bears may be hunted by Alaska Natives, but hunting mothers and cubs is illegal). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional redirector Geoff Haskett said the cub would have died without his mother, so becoming an "ambassador for its species was the next best option. Obviously, it would be better if they could stay in the wild, but that can't happen when they're in a situation like this, so again, our work with the zoo makes the next best thing possible." He said of Kali moving to Buffalo, "It's very, very important early in its life to know how to deal with other bears."
Some videos of Kali and Luna:
