PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

A 29-year-old female polar bear named Tundra explored her new home for the first time today at the Detroit Zoo’s Arctic Ring of Life.  The senior bear was relocated last week from the Indianapolis Zoo, which is permanently closing its polar bear exhibit.

“Tundra arrived over the weekend and is acclimating very well to her new environment,” said Ron Kagan, executive director for the Detroit Zoological Society.  “She is sweet and curious and rather sprightly for an elderly bear.”

At 29, Tundra is one of the oldest polar bears in captivity.  Polar bears have an average life span of 15-18 years in the wild and 21-24 years in zoos.  “Animals in general tend to live longer in captivity due to the health care and nutrition provided by veterinarians and animal care staff,” said Kagan.

Tundra joins two other polar bears at the Arctic Ring of Life – female Talini, 11, and male Nuka, 11.  The facility also houses three arctic foxes and five seals.

Opened in 2001, the Arctic Ring of Life is one of the largest habitats for polar bears in North America.  The state-of-the-art, interactive facility encompasses more than 4 acres of outdoor and indoor habitats and public spaces.  The bears have access to grassy tundra, a “pack ice” area, a freshwater pool and a 190,000-gallon saltwater pool, as well as indoor spaces.  Visitors can view the polar bears and seals swimming above and around them from the facility’s 70-foot-long Frederick and Barbara Erb Polar Passage.