Somebody give Nora a hug: Her sister is leaving.
OK, probably don’t give a polar bear a hug, but maybe an extra fish or two?
Amelia Gray, Nora’s half sister, is heading to Brookfield Zoo Chicago next month to meet some new bears and possibly make a few baby polar bears.
“We’ve been so honored to care for Amelia these past four years,” said Rachel Ritchason, the Oregon Zoo’s deputy director of animal care, in a press release sent out by the zoo. “We’re really going to miss her. But we’re also excited that she’ll get to spend time with a male bear — and hopefully be able to raise some cubs. Our goal is to ensure a long-term future for one of the world’s most vulnerable species.”
Nora and Amelia Gray were born roughly a year apart (Nora is older) at the Columbus Zoo and share a father, though they had not met before they were brought together at the Oregon Zoo in 2021.
After Amelia Gray leaves, Nora will be alone again in Portland.
"At some point, she may also have an opportunity to raise cubs, though plans for that have yet to be determined," the press release said. “In the meantime, folks needn’t worry about her being on her own: Polar bears generally lead solitary lives except when they’re breeding or raising cubs, according to wildlife biologists."
We’ll try not to worry. In the meantime, visitors should be able to see Amelia Gray and her sister, through the first week of September at the Oregon Zoo.
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