B8
THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021
New polar bear comes to the Oregon Zoo
ing biologists better under-
stand polar bear nutrition
and genetics. The zoo has
set up its swim fl ume — a
hyperbaric chamber used to
measure polar bears’ energy
expenditure while swim-
ming — but is waiting for
the pandemic to subside
before it makes it available
to researchers.
Making
polar
bear
research more accessible
was a goal for the zoo when
it undertook the redesign of
its polar bear habitat, Cut-
ting said. In the previous
enclosure, much of the train-
ing that went on to make
research possible happened
behind the scenes, out of
view of the zoo going pub-
lic. Now, it’s on full display
for all to view.
“We really wanted to
focus on increasing scien-
tifi c literacy,” Cutting said
earlier this year.
Research on captive polar
bears has become increas-
ingly important in recent
years. A recent study found
that all but a few polar bear
populations will be extinct
by 2100 if carbon dioxide
concentrations in the atmo-
sphere remain on their cur-
rent path. Even with mod-
erate cuts to greenhouse gas
emissions, some populations
could begin to see reproduc-
tive failure as soon as 2040,
researchers found.
The same issue put-
ting wild bears in peril —
a decline in sea ice — has
made studying them all the
more diffi cult and some sci-
entists have been forced to
cancel fi eld research expe-
ditions because there sim-
ply wasn’t enough solid ice
to work from.
Both Amelia Gray and
Nora are available to the
viewing public at the Ore-
gon Zoo, but when and if
they decide to form a bond
is anyone’s guess, Cutting
said.
“We hope visitors will be
able to see the bears playing
together soon, but that will
really be up to them,” she
said.
By KALE WILLIAMS
The Oregonian
The Oregon Zoo has a
new fl uff y resident.
“Amelia Gray,” a 5-year-
old polar bear, joined resi-
dent bear “Nora” last week.
She got her name because
Amelia means defender and
she has a small patch of gray
fur on her left side. Amelia
Gray and Nora are half sib-
lings, born to the same father
bear about a year apart.
“Even though they’re sib-
lings just a year apart in age,
Nora and Amelia Gray have
never met so it won’t be a
family reunion,” said Amy
Cutting, who oversees the
zoo polar bear area. “Polar
bears have a pretty soli-
tary nature, but we do hope
these two will form a posi-
tive relationship.”
Nora was born at the
Columbus Zoo and Aquar-
ium in Ohio in late 2015.
She was raised by zookeep-
ers after her mother, a bear
named “Aurora,” abandoned
her after just six days. Nora
remained at the zoo until the
fall of 2016, when keepers
there began to suspect that
both Aurora and another
bear, “Anana,” were preg-
nant. Nora left Ohio for the
Oregon Zoo in September
2016.
Many of Nora’s early
troubles — and moves from
Ohio to Oregon to Utah and
back to Oregon — were
chronicled in a fi ve-part
series published by The Ore-
gonian in 2017.
A few months after Nora
left the Columbus Zoo,
Anana gave birth to Ame-
lia Gray, who shares a father
with Nora. Despite their
shared genealogy, zookeep-
ers don’t think that will
play a role in their social
compatibility.
Amelia Gray was suc-
cessfully raised by her mom.
She and her half-sister, a
bear named “Neva,” were
transferred to the Maryland
Zoo in Baltimore in 2018.
Of the two, Amelia Gray,
was the more reserved,
Gayle Spear, left, with her raccoon pillow and a Lois
Larson Christmas stocking, and Sheri Anderson
with her wreath and Judy Woodmansee’s quilted
Christmas tree.
PEO holds boutique sale
The Astorian
SEASIDE — The PEO Holiday Treasures
Boutique sale is being held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nov. 18 at the Seaside Elks Lodge, 324 Avenue
A.
In addition to homemade sweet and savory
bakery items, there are theme tables: Christmas,
children, beach, kitchen, woodsy, garden/fl oral
and vintage items and jewelry.
Two silent auction items include an origi-
nal William Steidel watercolor , donated by Bill
and Sally Steidel of Steidel Art Gallery of Can-
non Beach. The second item is a 6-foot by 2-foot
quilted Christmas tree.
Masks are required. Credit cards are encour-
aged, but checks and cash will be accepted (exact
amount is appreciated). The majority of funds
earned from the sale generates resources to sup-
port deserving women entering or returning to
complete their education.
For info about PEO, go to peointernational.org
Elks Lodge holds Veterans Night
The Astorian
SEASIDE — The Sea-
side Elks Lodge, 324 Ave-
nue A, is holding a Veter-
ans Night on Saturday. The
community is welcome to
attend.
The program begins
at 6 p.m., and is followed
by a free spaghetti dinner.
Veterans are encouraged
to wear any part of their
uniform.
‘Amelia Gray’ explores her new surroundings at the Oregon
Zoo after arriving from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore earlier
this month.
according to Mike McClure,
general curator of the Mary-
land Zoo.
“Amelia Gray is more
cautious of her surround-
ings and needs more time
to assess all of the input she
receives from her environ-
ment,” McClure said in a
statement. “She also seems
to do well having time alone
to help her decompress from
lots of (stimuli). Oregon’s
new Polar Passage habitat
has several diff erent areas
and will be able to provide
her with her own space as
needed and opportunities for
continued socialization.”
Amelia Gray appears to
be taking advantage of that
extra space so far, according
to Oregon Zoo offi cials, who
said she and Nora have yet
to inhabit the same space.
It’s still unclear exactly
what kind of relationship the
two will develop with each
other, Cutting said, as both
come from very diff erent
backgrounds.
“They may fi ght, they
may play or they may
choose to spend time as far
away from each other as
possible,” Cutting told The
Oregonian. “Amelia Gray
is not as outgoing as Nora,
according to her keepers,
and she likes to have some
‘alone time’ — so we plan
to give her as much space
as she needs to settle in and
be comfortable in her new
home.”
What the bears will share,
despite whatever happens
between them socially, is
a pivotal role in research.
Nora has already taken part
in a voluntary blood draw, a
procedure that was unheard
of among zoo bears before it
was pioneered at the Oregon
Zoo more than a decade ago.
Keepers hope to begin train-
ing Amelia Gray to take part
in blood draws as well.
Both bears will also likely
be involved in research on
new tracking devices for
wild bears as well as help-
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