On June 6, 2015, the much-anticipated McDonnell Polar Bear Point exhibit will open at the Saint Louis Zoo. Earlier this month, the zoo welcomed Kali, a 2.5-year-old male orphaned polar bear that weights 850 pounds. Kali (pronounced Cully) will be the star of the new exhibit.
The new McDonnell Polar Bear Point exhibit is a 40,000-square-foot habitat with a sea water area. Both areas are visible to the public, with a 22-foot viewing window Kai can walk right up to, as well as a viewing wall in the 1,000-square-foot Arctic room to watch him swim in his 50,000-galloon Polar Dive Pool.
The exhibit has taken more than two years to construct at a cost of $16 million. Saint Louis Zoo was home to a polar bear exhibit from the 1920s through 2009. This new exhibit is double the size of the former exhibit and will house Kali and eventually up to five bears. The zoo is hopeful Kali will eventually have a family.
Kali and McDonnell Polar Bear Point will be available to public at the Saint Louis Zoo on Saturday, June 6, when the zoo is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
–Lissa Poirot
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