Grizzlies Move in Where Polar Bears Once Tread

The enclosure where a beloved polar bear once swam back-and-forth in the cold water of the Central Park Zoo is being turned over to animals used to a more temperate climate: grizzlies.

The Wildlife Conservation Society is remodeling the exhibit that Gus occupied until he died last August. The new tenants will be two grizzly bears, Betty and Veronica. They'll get shallower pools for wading, as well as areas where they can dig for hidden food.

Zoo director Craig Piper said the grizzlies are more in line with the organization's conservation efforts in the wild. "We are very focused with brown bears and black bears in  a number of the landscapes where we work," he said. "And we are less involved in polar bear work."

Grizzlies have a broader natural range than polar bears and can be found in the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains. But Piper said the threat of rising temperatures here in New York did not play a role in opting for a species more accustomed to higher temperatures.

"That really did not factor heavily into the decision because we can provide an environment that works for polar bears," he said.

As it is, the grizzly bear exhibit will be outfitted with an air-conditioned den where the new bears can keep cool.