Polar Bear

I was disappointed when I found out that there were no more polar bears at the Singapore Zoo but I don't have to be upset anymore! The new Frozen Tundra opened just a few days ago at the zoo with the highlight being the polar bear, Inuka. The Frozen Tundra itself is not very big and there were only two other types of animals sharing the space with the lone polar bear - wolverines (not the X-Men type) and raccoon dogs. 

When we first met the polar bear, it was sprawled on its belly at its outdoor enclosure. I wondered if it was because of the heat as the enclosure wasn't air-conditioned and only part of the top was covered with a black net to block out the sun's rays. But what about the intense heat here in sunny Singapore? Aren't polar bears supposed to live in arctic conditions with sub-zero temperatures?

I looked at the sprawled polar bear and felt sad for it. It was designed to withstand cold with its black skin, hollow fur and thick layer of fat, yet here it is in sunny Singapore. I pray that it's not suffering just so that we could have a new exhibit at the zoo.

When feeding time came, we saw the zookeeper drop some food into the enclosure and the polar bear standing on its hind legs to get its food. That was quite a spectacle since the polar bear looked really massive when it was on its hind legs. We made our way to the amphitheatre, thinking that a show would start soon, with the polar bear diving and swimming away in its spacious pool.

But the polar bear sat at the corner and wasn't the least bit enticed by the food that was dropped into the water. The zookeeper kept talking about polar bears to keep the audience entertained but there was no show at all. The polar bear wasn't in the mood for a swim and there was nothing they could do about it. And so the show ended and we were aghast. That was it?? 

The little girl and her two little friends were not perturbed at all. And that's because there were not expecting anything at all, unlike us adults who are always full of expectations. They were having their own fun amongst themselves and enjoying their snacks. We thought, what the heck, might as well sit down for a while for a rest. 

Just as the crowd had dispersed, what do you know, the polar bear dived into the water to get its food! We rushed down to the huge glass panel to see it up close and what a show we got. For at least ten minutes, the polar bear swam round and round the pool, swimming right next to the glass much to our delight, then later on swimming right up to the glass before stretching up to its full height to come up for air. Subhanallah, no words could describe its grace as it was moving in water, and this is the animal that is known as the most fearsome predator on ice. How grateful I was to have met it up close. I was very sure I was more excited than the little girl.

The graceful giant

Even later on, I was still enjoying the experience when I thought about it at home and I totally know why. I was thinking of Dec 2007 when I was at Tierpark Hellabrunn, the zoo in Munich. Not only did it snow suddenly, and I took off my gloves to catch snowflakes in my hands for the very first time, but I was also walking around alone at the zoo while hubby was at work. 

Most animals, like the big cats, were in their winter indoor enclosures, but not the polar bears. They were in their usual outdoor enclosure. I remember that one was pregnant and the other, or was it the same pregnant one, was going up and down its icy slide. Again and again it slid down, as if totally relishing the falling snow. I stood there, alone and freezing, not feeling lonely at all despite of my apparent lack of company at an empty zoo, watching and taking a video of them. That moment, and that day at Tierpark Hellabrunn, will forever be in my heart and in my mind.