ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The St. Louis Zoo announced on Thursday that it has launched a new conservation initiative that will support research, field work and outreach to help both wild polar bears in the Arctic and the people that live among them.
The St. Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Polar Bear Conservation is the first new conservation center created by the Zoo since 2019. It will be an adaptable conservation program dedicated to safeguarding the species.
The Center for Polar Bear Conservation is now one of 17 St. Louis Zoo WildCare Institute centers dedicated to the conservation of animals and their habitats across the globe.
"This center is an example of the Zoo’s holistic approach to conservation," said Lisa Kelley, Ph.D., Executive Director of Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute. "This Center will bolster the conservation of polar bears through our pillars of wildlife management and recovery, conservation science and engaging the people who coexist with wildlife around the world."
Upon launch, the Center for Polar Bear Conservation will focus on initiatives such as developing polar bear tracking ear tags, support two Alaskan community-based programs aimed at reducing conflicts between polar bears and people, will continue the Zoo’s support of scientific studies led by Polar Bears International, the only nonprofit dedicated solely to polar bears and Arctic sea ice.
The Zoo says it will also use the Zoo’s platform to inform the public, amplify indigenous perspectives and motivate action on one of the greatest threats to polar bears: climate change.