polar bears puzzle Japan zoo visitors



TOKYO - Green polar bears are drawing questions from puzzled visitors at a Japanese zoo.

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Three normally white polar bears at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in central Japan changed their color in July after swimming in a pond with an overgrowth of algae.

The sight of green polar bears has prompted many questions from visitors concerned about whether the animals are sick or carrying mold, zoo official Masami Kurobe said Sunday.

"Visitors seem to be shocked by the color, and we are asked every day why they are so green," he said.

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YouWriteOn wants to clear up some polar bear Myths and Misconceptions .. this is vitally important to us as a writing site ..


One of the most persistent myths about the polar bear is that a hunting bear will cover its black nose while lying in wait for a seal. The legend is widespread among native hunters. Canadian biologist Ian Stirling has spent several thousand hours watching polar bears hunt. He has never seen one hide its nose, nor have other scientists.

Another recurrent myth is that the great white bears are left-pawed. Scientists observing the animals haven't noticed a preference. In fact, polar bears seem to use their right and left paws equally.

Yet another myth maintains that polar bears use tools, including blocks of ice to kill their prey. Scientist Ian Stirling believes that this assertion can be traced to unsuccessful hunts. After failing to catch a seal, a frustrated and angry polar bear may kick the snow, slap the ground — or hurl chunks of ice.

Still another myth concerns the belief that the polar bear's hollow hairs conduct ultraviolet light to its black skin, thus capturing energy. This theory was tested—and disproved—by physicist Daniel Koon.

A more recent myth claims that the polar bear has a symbiotic relationship with the arctic fox, sharing its food in exchange for the fox's warning system. Zoologists discredit the association. While it is true that the arctic fox will occasionally travel behind the polar bear and feeds on the predator's scraps, it does not serve as a "guard fox."

Not only is the bear-fox relationship not symbiotic, the little foxes often annoy the bears. An arctic fox will sometimes tease a bear by darting in to nip at its heels and will sometimes try to drive a bear off its prey. For its part, a polar bear will occasionally lunge at or slap a fox. What's more, during the spring season on the ice when both the polar bear and the arctic fox are hunting ringed seal pups, the relationship could be considered 'competition'.

Yet another myth concerns orca whales preying on polar bears. Scientist Ian Stirling concedes that while an orca might have an opportunity to attack a bear stranded on a remnant of ice, such an encounter is extremely unlikely. To his knowledge, it has never been observed. Polar bear biologist Scott Schliebe has never heard of this either.

One final misconception is that polar bears live at both poles. The belief is common among school children, who grow up seeing illustrations of penguins and polar bears together. Polar bears, of course, live only in the circumpolar North. They never encounter penguins, which do not live in the same regions as polar bears.

Sources: Polar Bear by Downs Matthews (Chronicle Books, 1993) ; Polar Bears by Ian Stirling (University of Michigan Press, 1988