ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Twin polar bear cubs at the Detroit Zoo will soon have a new home in the state of Washington.
The Detroit Zoo said Wednesday that two polar bear cubs, Astra and Laerke, will move to Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington, this spring. The transfer is being conducted per recommendations by Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) polar bear population experts.
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The Detroit Zoo said these recommendations support the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically varied polar bear population, as evidenced by one of the program’s main objectives – introducing vulnerable species of animals in hopes of mating.
Sisters Astra and Laerke were born on Nov. 17, 2020, to mother Suka and father Nuka. Just two days after her birth, however, Laerke suffered a medical emergency – separating her from her sister and leaving her weak and in need of constant, intricate lifesaving care from the Detroit Zoo animal care staff.
The cubs were apart for more than two years before reuniting in this spring at the Detroit Zoo’s Arctic Ring of Life habitat – and since then, they have been inseparable, spending many days at the Zoo playing and roaming around the Arctic Ring of Life.
At more than two years old, Astra and Laerke are at an age when they would be living on their own in the wild, away from their mother – so this move is natural and necessary for their continued development, the zoo said.
“We are saddened Laerke and Astra will be leaving us, but the Detroit Zoo is so proud to have played a role that influenced how these two cubs grew up,” said Betsie Meister, associate curator of mammals for the DZS. “With that said, we know they are going to a great home at Point Defiance Zoo, another outstanding, AZA-accredited facility, and we are confident they will thrive in their new environment.”
“Astra and Laerke are high-energy, playful bears who each have an incredible story,” added Malia Somerville, interim general curator for Point Defiance Zoo. “Our animal care and veterinary teams have decades of experience caring for polar bears, and we are looking forward to introducing the sisters to our community here in Tacoma – where we will help them grow in their new home.”
Polar bears are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission has designated the species as facing a high risk of global extinction.