Polar Bear Day: how Russia takes care of the Earth’s largest predator

On Tuesday, February 27, the world celebrates Polar Bear Day, and our country is no exception. In honor of the agile swimmer and lover of sub-zero temperatures, Polar Bear Days began at the Russia exhibition and forum at VDNKh. Lectures and games, master classes and film screenings dedicated to the largest predator on Earth will be held at the Rosneft pavilion until March 3. At the opening of the Days, those present were told about a unique program for the conservation of animals listed in the Red Book, about unusual toys that are developed specifically for bears, and about the fact that each bear has its own taste preferences.

One of the key environmental activities of the Rosneft company is a program for the conservation of Arctic biodiversity and the study of polar animals. And since 2013, the company decided to take under its care all the bears that are in the country’s zoos. Currently, the company patronizes 16 zoos and 34 polar bears, including two newborn cubs in the Yakutsk Zoo. The program is coordinated by the ANO “Wildlife Society”.

“The main objectives of this program are to improve the living conditions of polar bears, enrich their environment, food and care. So, a polar bear eats 4-5 kg ​​of meat per day, the same amount of fish and 3-4 kg of vegetables. Every year, an individual diet is prepared for each bear, taking into account its preferences,” said Alexey Kulpin, deputy director for science of the Wild Nature Society ANO.

He added that in Rostov-on-Don bears love mackerel, and in Kazan they love salad. The Krasnoyarsk Zoo requires fish oil the most. But the bear Dumka from Udmurtia prefers sweets.

“We have three individuals of polar bears: male Balu, female Dumka, and female Shaina recently arrived from the Novosibirsk Zoo. Our Dumka differs from other bears in that she loves sweets very much. She developed a love for him from childhood. Dumka will be 20 years old in December, she has already given birth to three cubs. She was found in Chukotka surrounded by stray dogs. She was 2-3 months old, it is unknown how long she was without her mother, but her condition was critical. Local residents, while waiting for veterinarians, put Dumka in an office building. While the Moscow employees were getting to the place, all the local children came running to look at the baby. And then one will give candy, then another will give a cookie. So Dumka fell in love with sweets, and also developed gastritis. Of course, they don’t feed her that way now. But he won’t refuse honey and fruits,” shared Udmurtia Zoo specialist Lyubov Kutergina.

Another important area of ​​work under the program is the repair and reconstruction of enclosures. Previously, in many zoos where predators were kept, the enclosures were in disrepair. Seven of the most modern enclosure complexes were rebuilt. And all enclosures, without exception, have been repaired.

“For half a century, the stars of our zoo have been and remain polar bears. It is no secret that not everyone dares to keep such a serious animal and not everyone can afford it. This includes nutritious food, veterinary care using modern technologies, creation of conditions – a large enclosure with a swimming pool, snowdrifts even in summer, unique toys and much more. Rosneft helps the zoo solve all these problems,” said Svetlana Prilepina, director of the Yekaterinburg Zoo.

According to Kulpin, much attention is paid to the treatment and prevention of diseases. Zoos purchase modern ultrasound and x-ray machines, medicines and food supplements. Specialists also monitor the stress level of animals.

“The life of bears in enclosures, even the most comfortable ones, cannot be compared with life in the wild in the vast expanses of the Arctic. Therefore, sometimes animals develop such an ailment as stereotypic behavior. This is when an animal walks from corner to corner, shaking its head. To reduce the manifestations of this nervous disorder, it is necessary to enrich the habitat. We develop special items that polar bears use to play. Animals need to be distracted: digging, picking, breaking, tasting. What they liked most were the hollow cylinders with plugs where they put treats, as well as the balls made of durable plastic. They make noise when they try to immerse them in water, and do not drown,” continues Kulpin.

In addition, specialists rescue orphaned bear cubs who are left alone in the Arctic. They sometimes come out to people, and zoos give them a chance to live. Since 2016, 6 cubs have been rescued.

“If a bear cub remains without a mother for up to a year, then there are no options to return it to the wild, because its mother teaches it life in the wild, and we cannot repeat this experience in a zoo. If the baby is more than one and a half years old, then he can already be able and know a lot. And here we decide this individually for each bear cub. For example, there was a bear cub in Yamal, he climbed into populated areas in search of food. An observation was made and we concluded that he could survive. Then they began to take out food for him into the natural environment. That is, they simply supported him with food remotely, without disturbing his usual behavior. He lived safely until spring and was then able to hunt on his own,” said Kulpin.

In general, the entire program is aimed at creating a reserve population and is consistent with Russia’s strategy for the conservation of Red Book animals. It is important to create conditions so that bears in zoos can reproduce safely.

Among other things, on this day in the Rosneft pavilion there was a broadcast from Krasnoyarsk of the award ceremony for the winners of the VII All-Russian children’s literary competition “Star of the Arctic – Umka”. Journalist Pavel Poluychik, director and screenwriter of the documentary film about the polar bear “Master of the Arctic,” also came to meet with the audience.

An extensive educational program is planned as part of the Polar Bear Days. Zoo staff will conduct lecture tours every day. Zoologists will talk about the features of unique Arctic predators, show prints of real bear paws and explain why animals do not freeze even in the Arctic. In addition, representatives of the oil company and leading Russian scientists will give lectures on scientific research in the Far North, the ecology of this unique region and its inhabitants.

Photo: Press service of PJSC NK Rosneft