ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Meet Haley! She’s the new 22-year-old polar bear who recently arrived at the Detroit Zoo.
Haley was born on Nov. 15, 2002, and comes from the Memphis Zoo, where she had been living since she was 4 years old. The zoo says the polar bear was named after Halley’s Comet.
The Association of Zoos and Aquarium recommended that Haley be moved to the Detroit Zoo “to help ensure healthy, genetically diverse and sustainable polar bear populations in human care,” according to a release from the zoo.
At her new home, she joins Nuka, a 20-year-old male, and Suka, a 12-year-old female.
“Haley is such a special and inquisitive bear,” said Mike Murray, vice president of life sciences for the Detroit Zoological Society. “We know Haley will be a terrific ambassador for her species, which faces threats from melting sea ice, climate change and pollution in the wild. We can’t wait for our guests to meet her.”
Guests can visit Haley as she adjusts to her new home in the Arctic Ring of Life, which is one of the largest polar bear exhibits in North America, according to the zoo.
The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through March 31, and starting on April 1, the zoo will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
