New Polar Bears arrive at Winnipeg

[Catherine]

Quote:Yes, the orphaned bears wouldn't stand a chance in the wild. If a lone male came upon them (I think) there is a good chance he would kill them. Thank goodness humans do 'interfere' sometimes.

A lone male would kill an orphan and eat it. He would do it if the mother was inattentive and let the cub stray to far. Life in the north is harsh. There is no room for careless mothers or orphans who will use up recourses and still not survive.

The big licenced zoos are doing a lot for conservation and education. I don't include little roadside or mini zoos in this. That is a whole different thing. The big zoos trade information and have learned a lot about how to keep animals alive and thriving in captivity. I don't think of it as captivity. I think of it more as assisted living.
Programs to save species and return them to the wild are a big part of what the zoos are doing. Toronto Zoo has Vancouver Island Marmots. It is a major conservation effort and I doubt any of the animals will ever be on display. We may be able to keep the Marmots from extinction and increase their numbers.