BUFFALO, N.Y. — Paws up. Tongue out. Lay down.
There are hand signals representing each of these commands, and if Luna and Sakari obey them, they get a reward of raw meat.
But these aren't tricks. They're natural behaviors that the keepers get the bears to perform daily so they can examine the animals.
The Arctic Edge team is also monitoring the bears for other things — breeding and signs of pregnancy.
Sakari and Luna, who are both six years old, are of breeding age. They mated last year and this year, but so far there are no signs of polar bear babies.
Even if Luna was pregnant, keepers might not know right away. That's because polar bears don't get pregnant immediately. It's called delayed implantation. The egg is fertilized but isn't implanted until environmental conditions are just right — in the wild, that's usually in the fall or winter.
"What this great team of individuals does is they get to know our polar bears. They monitor her behavior very closely, and they provide Luna with the opportunity...if we see breeding, in the spring, provide her with the opportunity to den up that fall and stay inside if she chooses to. We keep a very close eye on her with camera systems and hormonal monitoring that we do," said Buffalo Zoo president and CEO Norah Fletchall.
The Arctic Edge exhibit was built with breeding in mind. After the bears mate, they separate. There are two parts to the exhibit so they each have their own space.
Luna is a true Buffalonian, but Sakari has been welcomed to the Queen City with open arms (paws). Both have become the sort of unofficial mascots of the zoo and the city.
"When you come to the zoo and come nose to nose, through that glass with Luna and Sakari, and you see how beautiful they are, how big they are...you can smell them, and you can hear them. That really, really makes a difference. They are the ambassadors to their counterparts in the wild," said Fletchall.
Sakari is now about 900 pounds and eats 30 pounds of meat each day. Luna weighs about half as much and eats about 20 pounds each day.
Sakari has a sweet tooth and ejoys pumpkin, jelly, and honey as treats. Luna likes savory snacks and prefers broth, blood, and lard. The treats are used for nutrition and enrichment.
Sakari doesn't like loud noises, like trucks or thunder. Luna loves people and music, but doesn't care for those dressed in black.
