What's a Polar Bear Doing in the Tropics? - Animal Concerns ...

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3.2.2 Reasons for panting and lying flatThere is no doubt that polar bears are built to maintain their body heat.They do not have any physiological or morphological means of staying cooland therefore have to rely on behaviour to do so. 10In tropical climates, conditions of high temperature and humidity can beproblematic for all animals. Many animals, particularly birds and mammals,Inuka lying flat to dissipate heat from his body.have the ability to elevate internal heat production when they get cold.However, they have greater difficulty cooling themselves down when theyget hot because they can only reduce heat production to a level compatiblewith continuation of their basic metabolic processes.This may not be sufficient to deal with conditions of high temperature, socaptive animals must be given the opportunity to ‘thermoregulate’ bymoving to cooler, more shady areas such as forest cover, burrows, rockcavities or pools.For polar bears, the negative aspect of being so well insulated is that theyoverheat quickly, even in the Arctic. 19 Any temperature above freezing iswarm to a polar bear; at 21.1°C polar bears can become severely heatstressed.20What’s a polar bear doing in the tropics?26www.acres.org.sg
As their fat is stored subcutaneously, it serves as an excellent insulator. Asinsulators work both ways, while it blocks the cold from penetrating, fatalso inhibits heat from dissipating. Heat stress is therefore a problem polarbears face. 47The fact that polar bears are carnivorous adds to their problem ofoverheating. Eating meat and fat generates heat energy, therefore in thewild those polar bears that need to withstand periods of relative heatchoose to fast or become vegetarian; the majority choose to fast. 10In this study, both Sheba and Inuka spent a significant amount of timetrying to cool down (panting and lying flat).As they do not have sweat glands, bears must cool themselves throughseveral unique methods, shared by dogs. 48One way that polar bears may dissipate heat is through slobbering tongues,panting like a dog. 48 Panting is rapid, shallow respirations characterised byopen-mouthed breathing, often accompanied by a protrusion of the tongue.When an animal pants it provides increased air flow over moist surfaces inthe upper respiratory tract through rapid, shallow breathing. The increase inair flow causes an increase in evaporation from the upper respiratory tract.This evaporative cooling helps to regulate temperature.Polar bears will adopt different postures when sleeping or lying dependingon whether they want to get rid of heat or conserve it. 19 The hot spots ofbears are the muscles, nose, ears, footpads and particularly the inside of thethighs and “armpits”. Polar bears will lie spread-eagled in their efforts todissipate heat; their groins and armpits are the only spots on the body thathave little fur and no fat. 47 They will lie with their legs (thighs) spread wideto lose heat, often sprawled on snowfields or patches of snow. 48What’s a polar bear doing in the tropics?27www.acres.org.sg
Page 16 and 17: animal is diving. They also eat car
Page 18 and 19: individual’s own choices. This ab
Page 20 and 21: Following his investigations into t
Page 22 and 23: What’s a polar bear doing in the
Page 24 and 25: Accommodation20 All animal accommod
Page 26 and 27: Table 3.1 Categories of behaviours
Page 28 and 29: TABLE 3.5 Lying flat behaviour prof
Page 30 and 31: 3.2.1 Adaptation to Arctic coldPola
Page 34 and 35: 3.2.3 Heat stress experienced in Si
Page 36 and 37: the pool area. However, theeffectiv
Page 38 and 39: 3.2.4 Algal growth in furInuka cove
Page 42 and 43: Table 4.1 Categories of behaviours
Page 44 and 45: TABLE 4.4 Activity pattern of Sheba
Page 46 and 47: TABLE 4.6 Abnormal behaviour profil
Page 48 and 49: 4.2.1 Prevalence of abnormal stereo
Page 50 and 51: to more space, a more complex, quie
Page 52 and 53: Guidelines and LegislationsGuidelin
Page 54 and 55: equirements stated in the Province
Page 56 and 57: problem with these old designs is t
Page 58 and 59: SubstrateThe polar bear enclosure d
Page 60 and 61: In the 2004 report, Acresrecommende
Page 62 and 63: FurnitureThe enclosure does not pro
Page 64 and 65: Private areasThe lack of private ar
Page 66 and 67: 5.1.2 Problems in husbandryUse/acce
Page 68 and 69: At a workshop on the Behavioural Ne
Page 70 and 71: disintegrating objects in an enclos
Page 72 and 73: interesting. At no time were the be
Page 74 and 75: 5.2.3 Condition of teeth 10Sheba ha
Page 76 and 77: demonstrating species-appropriate b
Page 80 and 81: Today there is just one polar bear
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What’s a polar bear doing in the
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Providing natural substrates in enc
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Stimulating olfactory and rubbing b
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What’s a polar bear doing in the
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Singapore Zoo states that they are
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22. Wood, D. 1995. Bears. Whitecap
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66. Baars, D. and Weegenaar, A. 199
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APPENDIX I: GUIDELINES FOR ENCLOSUR
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• For polar bears the ratio of wa
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APPENDIX IV: GUIDELINES FOR SUBSTRA
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APPENDIX VI: GUIDELINES FOR PRIVATE
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• Environmental enrichment should
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