Re-birth for polar bears at Buffalo Zoo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Visitors are very excited about seeing one of the newest members of the family at the Buffalo Zoo.

"The polar bears! They're funny."

Children love the Buffalo Zoo's polar bears, and it seems the bears love each other.

Lead Bear Keeper Vicki Hodge said, "It's very exciting. We're hoping to have cubs."

It is the public debut of 21-year-old Nanuq. He's on loan indefinitely from a zoo in Wisconsin.

You could say sparks flew when he met eight-year-old female Anana in person for the first time last weekend.

Hodge said, "We actually had some breeding happen on Sunday, so we're hoping that continues on and everything's going just as it should be."

Nanuq's arrival at the zoo come on the heels of a polar bear controversy.

Six polar bears died there at the zoo within six years, and that lead to a preliminary United States Department of Agriculture report suggesting the zoo was negligent.

Since then, the issue has been resolved.

Buffalo Zoo Public Relations Coordinator Jennifer Fields said, "USDA, when we contacted them to make sure they knew we were getting a new polar bear, they told us then that there was no issue that they have for us to get one, and that we were cleared."
Investigators determined all six died of natural causes.

Zoo visitors say it's in the past now.

Buffalo Zoo patron Jean Riedel said, "It's great to see more polar bears here. I think it's great to have this habitat here."

Buffalo Zoo visitor Maria McLaughlin said, "It's very very exciting. I think it would be wonderful if we have a new baby here at the zoo. We love coming to the zoo. We come here all the time, so very exciting."

The zoo's expansion project is also calling for a new polar bear exhibit.

It's sort of a re-birth for the polar bears at the Buffalo Zoo.