OREGON ZOO: POLAR BEARS

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Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

These pictures were all taken on a visit to the Oregon Zoo in Portland on September 15, 2001. The bears are behind glass, as you can tell from the reflections and water drops, but they're sooooo close! These were taken with a normal lens - no telephoto needed.


Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

The bear swam over to the rocks on the right and pushed off onto his back. I kept taking pictures of him swimming past the window on his back. He'd make a circle, swimming on his belly up to the back of the tank, coming up to look around, swimming over to the right and pushing off onto his back again.


  Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

When he reached the left side of the tank, he'd extend his foot, sit, turn, and swim on his belly again toward the center back.


Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

Once, on reaching the center, he raised up and shook a cloud of water from his fur. I wish I'd caught him mid-shake with the camera. His whole torso was lost in flying mist. In the picture on the right, you can see the pattern the cloud made as it sank back into the pool.


Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

On the left, the bear "swans" out of the water, dripping. (Thanks, Kate, "swanning" - what a good word!) Then he smells something.


Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

He takes a short break . . .


Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

. . . and swims over to his push-off rock to start the trip again. Sometimes he'd vary the routine by swimming under water in front of the glass, as in the picture at the top of the page.


Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo   Polar bears at the Oregon Zoo

This is the bear that spent my whole visit lying in the arch (in the background in the pix above). From this side of the exhibit, you can get within inches of her - behind thick glass, of course. And on the right: the sleeping bear, the swimming bear, and a visitor reflected in the glass.


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