CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo is inviting the news media to preview its new polar bear exhibit a week ahead of its official opening.
The exhibit, named the Walter Family Arctic Tundra, opens Nov. 17. The zoo is giving journalists a peek at its four viewing areas Thursday morning.
The more than 11,000-square-foot exhibit features a stream, waterfall, dive pools and an ice machine. It will teach visitors about the impacts of climate change on polar bears, which depend on sea ice for survival.
Zoo officials have said one male polar bear will inhabit the exhibit in time for the opening. They expect to add a female bear this winter. With hopes of a successful mating program, the exhibit also includes a denning area for any cubs that may result.
