Chicago polar bear stays inside for polar vortex
CHICAGO — Bitter temperatures hammering Chicago were even too cold for a polar bear.
The Lincoln Park Zoo says its bear Anana was kept inside Monday because of the record-low temperatures.
Zoo spokeswoman Sharon Dewar says while the below-zero weather might be comparable to what a polar bear experiences in the wild, Anana doesn’t have a thick fat layer bears typically get from eating things such as seals and whale carcasses.
That extra insulation would make it uncomfortable to live in Chicago during the rest of the year, so Anana gets a different diet.
While she stayed inside, Anana lounged in her comparatively balmy indoor climate that’s kept at 40 to 50 degrees.
Anana usually has access to both an indoor and outdoor area. She’s venturing outside again on Tuesday.