Brookfield unveils massive new wilderness exhibit

If the Three Bears got a peek at Brookfield Zoo's new Great Bear Wilderness exhibit, they might just pack their bags, hand Goldilocks the keys to their fairy tale cottage and head this way.

The 7.5-acre Great Bear Wilderness, which opens to the public on this Saturday, May 8, is the largest exhibit ever constructed at the 75-year-old zoo.

It features iconic North American animals including polar bears, grizzly bears, bison, bald eagles, Mexican gray wolves and a raven in their natural habitats of prairie, tundra and temperate forest landscapes.

"We now have what I believe is the world's premier bear, bison and bald eagle exhibit," said Stuart D. Strahl, president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society.

The $27.3 million habitat was funded by private donations.

Guests enter Great Bear Wilderness through a 60-foot tunnel featuring colorful mural paintings of bison and information on the animal's history with North American and Native American culture. An audio recording of a stampede pounds through the air.

Outside, bison graze in their prairie setting, just a few feet from zoo guests, dining on their own lunches at picnic tables.

Visitors can't miss 2,000-pound Ron, the exhibit's only male bison, who trainers say enjoys using his mammoth head to push a plastic ball filled with treats.

Ron, and the other six bison in Great Bear Wilderness, all adjusted well to the move back in March, said Andre Copeland, the interpretive programs manager at Brookfield Zoo.

"Watching them, it was like they were saying, 'Ah - room to roam,'" Copeland recalled. "It's a beautiful thing to see."

Winding along the zoo's paths, guests soon come to three new bear exhibit spaces featuring three polar bears (Aussie, Arki and their 3-year-old son Hudson) and two grizzly bears (brothers Jim and Axhi). The bears are rotated into each of the exhibits on various days, helping to prevent boredom.

In the 3,600-square-foot underwater bear viewing area, the grizzly bears play with floating logs and twigs or wrestle with each other. Polar bears twist and turn in the water.

Zoo guests literally find themselves nose to nose with curious bears, looking right at them through 5 inches of glass.

Trainers say that young Hudson seems to like his close-up view of guests.

"Hudson has never been this close to the public before, and he's really enjoying watching the people," said Jessica Miller, senior keeper of bears and big cats.

In a nearby exhibit area, Hudson's father Aussie wrapped his arms around a giant frozen icicle - the size of a tire - with plump strawberries dotting the ice. It's a cold treat made for him by trainers.

"What strikes us the most is the bears have been so calm and relaxed here in their new setting. It really seems like they are at home," said Mike Brown, lead keeper of large carnivores.

The zoo's existing 2.1-acre Regenstein Wolf Woods Mexican gray wolf exhibit has now been incorporated into the Great Bear Wilderness. Guests can view the wolves outside or indoors via a large one-way window.

Nearby, two bald eagles will share a 1,200-square-foot new living space with a raven.

A large part of Great Bear Wilderness focuses on conservation and teaching zoo visitors how to make environmentally friendly decisions. Films, graphics and "You Can Help" signs offering conservation tips are numerous.

"We want to teach people that individuals can make a difference - by turning down the thermostat, by recycling and by growing our own food - we can help work against the effects of global warming and help the animals' lives," Strahl said.

Along with conservation signs, the exhibit is dotted with a 38-piece installation of poems and sayings pertaining to nature.

At one of the exhibit's main gates, a large saying by poet Henry David Thoreau will greet soon-to-be-arriving visitors to Great Bear Wilderness: "In Wilderness is the preservation of the world."

Great Bear Wilderness exhibitWhere: Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield. When: Opens Saturday, May 8. The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with summer hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day) of 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (7:30 p.m. on Sundays) Cost: Admission to Great Bear Wilderness is free with paid $9.50-$13.50 general zoo admission.Information: Call (708) 688-8400, or visit CZS.org.False20001339Guests to the new underwater viewing area of the Great Bear Wilderness exhibit at Brookfield Zoo can come face to face with swimming bears.Courtesy of Brookfield ZooFalse <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=377475">Great Bear Wilderness opening day activities <span class="date">[05/05/10]</span></a></li></ul><h2>Related links</h2><ul class="moreWeb"><li><a href="http://www.czs.org/czs/About-CZS/News-and-Events/Success-Stories/Great-Bear-Wilderness.aspx" target="new">Great Bear Wilderness page</a></li></ul></div></div></div>