Zoo News: 10 Years of Garman Family Arctic Edge
With social media overtaken with throwbacks to 2016 and other memories from a decade ago, we have our own contribution.
The Buffalo Zoo’s 1.5-acre Garman Family Arctic Edge exhibit is just over 10 years old after opening in September 2015, and has only become more popular as it’s aged.
So what makes a walk through Garman Family Arctic Edge so special, particularly during the fitting winter months?
Of course, you can’t mention this sprawling exhibit without thinking of two visitor favorites: polar bears Luna and Sakari!
Their expansive habitat can be divided into two halves or combined into one. Currently, Luna and Sakari are residing separately, but with polar bear breeding season not far away, the two will soon be united again.
Behind the scenes, a crucial component of Garman Family Arctic Edge is the life support system, or LSS. This sophisticated system ensures that the bears’ pools are kept at the proper temperature and carefully filtered, providing clean, healthy water for swimming, playing, and cooling off year-round.
Providing exceptional care in a state-of-the-art habitat is especially important for a species like polar bears, which are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. With an estimated global population of just 26,000 and ongoing threats from climate change and sea ice loss, polar bears face increasing challenges in the wild. Our animal care team works tirelessly to ensure Luna and Sakari thrive, and the Buffalo Zoo is proud to support polar bear conservation and research efforts. In fact, Buffalo Zoo serves as an official ambassador center for Polar Bear International, a partner conservation organization dedicated solely to wild polar bears and serves as a research project hub for Canisius University’s ABEC program.
While our polar bears are Garman Family Arctic Edge’s largest residents, it’s also home to other Arctic and sub-Arctic animals. One in particular is smaller in size, but perfectly engineered for life in the Arctic: our Arctic foxes Sven, Olaf and Ash!
While they’re small in stature, Arctic foxes are built for the freezing, harsh conditions the Arctic Circle can throw at them.
Their fur changes with the seasons, and during peak winter it’s at its thickest. An Arctic fox’s fur coat keeps their body at a toasty 104°F and they also use their fluffy tails as a blanket.
While some Arctic foxes like Ash will have a more blue or gray coloring, others like Sven and Olaf are about as white as snow. With their fur coasts at about their fluffiest currently, they are thriving in the recent cold weather in Buffalo!
You can’t forget about our bald eagles Victor and Carson and Canada lynx Rosie, who are also cold-loving, familiar faces in Garman Family Arctic Edge!
After strolling through the exhibit’s main pathway spine, you’ll find yourself in our Arctic Interpretive Center, where you can learn all about the exhibit’s residents and what you can do to help save Arctic landscapes and the animals that call it home.
Garman Family Arctic Edge is beautiful year-round, but there’s something truly magical about seeing these animals enjoy fresh snow in their winter element.
Be sure to experience Garman Family Arctic Edge in all its winter glory on your next visit to the Buffalo Zoo — and keep an eye out for some exciting news regarding the exhibit coming soon.
