New Chicago bear? Lincoln Park Zoo opening new polar bear exhibit

The newest “Chicago bear” is a big guy, tipping the scales at 1,000 pounds and standing 9-feet tall. But you won't find him at Soldier Field.

Siku, a 6-year-old male polar bear, arrived in Chicago from the Louisville Zoo on Oct. 26, and is the lone resident — for now — at Lincoln Park Zoo's new $15.3 million Walter Family Arctic Tundra polar bear habitat. The 11,483-square-foot exhibit opens to the public on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Siku is adjusting well, said Mark Kamhout, Lincoln Park Zoo's curator of mammals.

“Siku has a charming personality,” Kamhout said. “He is very playful. He is very interested in people, and is very curious about his new surroundings and exploring the habitat.”

The Walter Family Arctic Tundra project began about seven years ago, Kamhout said. At that time, Lincoln Park's polar bear exhibit was nearly 30 years old and in need of renovation.

During the design/building process, several of the zoo's animals, including a variety of bears and a hyena, were moved to other zoos across the country.

“It has been a long journey, but we now have a beautiful facility,” Kamhout said.

Siku can explore the exhibit's north and south habitats, which include 49,900 gallons of water running through dive pools, a waterfall and a running stream.

Visitors can watch Siku and any future polar bear residents at four viewing areas: an underwater area, an ice cave area, a training wall (where staff members focus on operant conditioning, such as teaching Siku to open his mouth for dental exams) and an open-air overlook.

However, even polar bears need a bit of privacy, so some areas will remain out of sight.

Other amenities include an ice machine that can drop ice in front of curious bears and a climate-controlled air system that will blow cool air during hot Chicago summers.

The entire exhibit is designed to focus on choice, Kamhout said.

“In the wild, polar bears have to make a lot of choices. So we let them be in charge as much as possible here.”

Bears can check out the north habitat, play with a 300-pound boomer ball, search for hidden treats or swim in the south yard's pool.

“Or they can just lie down and take a nap,” Kamhout said.

Siku might not be a bachelor for long.

Using genetic and demographic information, a potential match has been made with a female polar bear at a Michigan zoo, Kamhout said. The hope is that this female can join Siku in the near future and perhaps produce a family. Staff members are waiting for a final determination from the zoo's own Population Management Center and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Introductions for the couple would start out slowly, Kamhout said. “We would let them get to know each other and say ‘Howdy' between a mesh panel at first.”

Zoo staff members hope that visitors will take away an awareness of the polar bears' current plight with climate change. Polar bears in the wild face thinning sea ice, lack of food and more risk of drowning, he explained.

“Climate change is so challenging, and affects so many species,” Kamhout said.

If you go want to see Walter Family Arctic Tundra polar bear exhibit, the Lincoln Park Zoo is at 2001 N. Clark St. in Chicago. It is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For information, please call (312) 742-2000 or visit lpzoo.org. The zoo charges no admission.

Walter Family Arctic Tundra polar bear exhibit

<b>Location:</b> Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago. (312) 742-2000 or <a href="http://lpzoo.org">lpzoo.org</a>

<b>Hours:</b> Open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily

<b>Admission:</b> Free