ZooNooz Article - MARCH 2005

Bear care

Ageing bodies need a little bit more care and attention and that's just what the Kodiak Bears, some of Taronga's oldest residents, are receiving, writes HELEN PANTENBURG.

Photographs Jeff Grant, Helen Pantenburg and Reuters

Going courting

Taronga Zoo's three giant Kodiak Bears - Barney, Bethel and Cynthia - celebrated their 28th birthday on 17 January. Before a battery of television cameras and photographers catching images to beam around Australia, the three gorged on the rich, pink flesh of 3kg, half-metre-long Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon (a birthday surprise from the Sydney Fish Market), as well as their other favourites - blueberry muffins and Turkish bread.

The bears were born within five days of each other, in January 1977 - Barney in San Francisco Zoo on 12 January, and sisters Cynthia and Bethel in Colorado Springs Zoo on 17 January. They arrived at Taronga as a group in 1985 from Adelaide and are the only Kodiak Bears on display in Australasia.

In the wild, Kodiak Bears normally live between 15 and 30 years but they have been known to live longer in zoos due to the abundance of fresh food and the availability of expert veterinary care. Senior Carnivore Keeper, Louise Ginman, said keepers in the Asian Mammals Division wanted to make this birthday special for the bears and to use the occasion to show how zoos care for animals as they get older.

A Kodiak bear eating just one of many fish (Reuters)

"At 28 years of age, Taronga's Kodiak Bears are some of the oldest bears alive in zoos today," she said. "Their age has begun to show over the last few years. Everyday movements have become much more difficult and all three bears have been diagnosed with arthritis, for which they receive daily treatment."

Due to their arthritis and old age, keepers decided to implement some additional husbandry procedures as well as changes in the bears' diet and lifestyle to make them more comfortable and to provide them with more exercise and movement to keep their joints and muscles mobile.

"They are fed up to seven times during the day," Louise said.

"This ensures that they move around as much as possible which helps to strengthen their muscles. We have also provided each bear with warm, padded bedding made from sacks and straw, and in their outdoor exhibit they also have heated rocks to snuggle up to and a heated cave to relax in."

As well as feeding the bears more frequently, keepers also decided to make some changes to the daily menu. Red meat was taken out of their diet and the amount of fish they were eating was increased to provide extra Omega 3 and fatty acids, while low calorie foods were added and vegetables known to contain more natural anti-inflammatory agents (including fresh celery and broccoli for vitamin C) were increased.

Along with the natural anti-inflammatory agents found in the fresh produce, all three bears are given arthritis medication twice a day - hidden in a honey sandwich to make sure it is swallowed and not spat out!

It was over 10 years ago that keepers started to notice that Barney was lame in one of his hind legs and, after initial treatment for what was thought to be a sore leg, a full veterinary check revealed that he was suffering from arthritis.

Bethel's case was similar to Barney's. After his diagnosis, she started to show similar symptoms and veterinarians soon confirmed that she, too, had arthritis, although luckily only a mild case. Cynthia on the other hand has been very fit for most of her life and has only shown problems over the last few years. Her elbow, however, is quite stiff and painful and needs medical attention.

Due to the severity of Barney and Cynthia's condition, the veterinarians began a course of medication to relieve the pain. Initially they were injected once a week for four weeks but now they only need to receive an injection monthly.

Part of our Bear Care includes new diets for our Kodiak bears(HP)

"We have noticed that the injections for Barney and Cythnia are definitely helping them in their everyday movements," said Louise. "Before the treatment, Cynthia, especially, was having trouble standing up and was often reluctant to move, but now she seems much more comfortable."

Kodiak Bears have an incredible sense of smell and keepers use aromatherapy as another enrichment tool to keep them more active and stimulated. Scattering fresh herbs and spices, and placing scented logs and plants in their exhibits is one of their many 'treats', but their favourite scent is the faeces of ungulates, which are placed in their exhibit twice a month.

"Elephant poo is definitely one of their favourite smells, while mixed nuts are some of their favourite edible treats. We scatter the nuts around the exhibit and the bears, with their keen sense of smell, forage around and try and find all the hidden goodies," Louise explains.

Foraging in enrichment 'logs' is also one of the bears' favourite activities. Large chunks of wood with small holes drilled into them are filled with dried fruit and nuts which the bears then have to try and pick out. It keeps them occupied for hours!

They also enjoy nothing more than eating 'fruiticles' and 'fishicles' - large frozen iceblocks containing fresh fruit pieces and whole pieces of fish. They use their sharp teeth and massive claws to crunch through the ice in search of the juicy fruit and fish. On hot days Barney can sometimes be seen swimming in his pond and crunching through his ice block at the same time.

Kodiak Bears are omnivores, and at Taronga the trio eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables including lettuce, carrots, sweet potato, apples, celery and melon. Between them they eat up to 16kg of fresh fruit and vegetables a day as well as 20kg of fish a week.

"Bears, just like humans, need to change their lifestyle slightly to adjust to the ageing body's requirements," said Louise. "We hope that with the small modifications we have made, plus lots of extra TLC, we can make the lives of our Kodiak Bears that extra bit more comfortable and contented."

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