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Polar bear safely reaches Buffalo to get groove on

Former inhabitant of Henry Vilas Zoo will hopefully woo female

A zoo in Buffalo, N.Y., received their own version of a mail order bride last week when the Henry Vilas Zoo’s male polar bear, Nanuq, was successfully transferred there in order to mate with a female polar bear named Anana.

Joe Hubing, Henry Vilas zoo director, said Nanuq was put into a metal animal cage in preparation for the move. Using a 40-ton crane, the container was lifted onto a truck that took Nanuq all the way to the Buffalo Zoological Gardens.

“The whole process of getting him on the truck was done in about 40 minutes, and he arrived in Buffalo later that evening,” Hubing said.

Nanuq was chosen to mate with Anana because his genes are different from most other captive polar bears.

“Nanuq’s genetics were especially important to us because he was rescued from the wild as an orphan cub,” said Jennifer Fields, spokesperson for the Buffalo zoo. “His genes are from the wild, and it mixes in a new (genetic) line into polar bears that are bred in captivity.”

Nanuq was chosen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums about a year ago as a candidate to mate with a female polar bear.

The AZA monitors genetic lines of endangered animal species and suggests actions that need to be taken to preserve stable populations of animals in zoos, Fields said.

After Nanuq was born in 1987, his mother was shot, leaving Nanuq and his twin brother Norton orphans. They were brought from the wild to the Henry Vilas Zoo in 1988.

According to the Henry Vilas Zoo’s website, the breeding of polar bears occurs in May and June. Therefore, it was important to get Nanuq to Buffalo soon.

Fields said Nanuq has never fathered any cubs.

The typical lifespan of a polar bear, according to the Henry Vilas website, is 20 to 25 years. Nanuq is 21 years old.

As for Nanuq’s previous den mate, Hubing said Mishka is enjoying her new independence.

“Mishka is doing very well. She’s enjoying her new privacy in the exhibit. She went over, looked in the den, and after finding it empty, immediately went in the swimming pool,” Hubing said.

According to Field, polar bears are mostly solitary animals except for when they have cubs. Sometimes bears get along during the breeding season and then later have to be separated.

According to Hubing, the Henry Vilas Zoo was sad to see Nanuq leave, and they miss him on a personal level.

“When there are only 88 bears (in the United States) and only half are breeding, every zoo needs to work together to sustain the species. They are highly threatened and magnificent animals,” Hubing said.

Nanuq will remain at the Buffalo Zoological Gardens for the remainder of his life.