Hogle gets $3 million to return polar bears

Hogle Zoo received a $3 million grant Monday intended to help bring polar bears back to the zoo.

The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation awarded the challenge grant as a vote of confidence for the zoo's "Renew the Zoo" master plan, said foundation president Lisa Eccles.

"We have supported the Hogle Zoo over the years and have been very impressed with their master plan and excited about their future," said Eccles, who sits on the foundation's board of directors, which appropriated the funds. "We just thought, 'This is something that all citizens of the state of Utah will enjoy.'"

The zoo is still short almost $17 million for the Arctic exhibit, but spokeswoman Holly Braithwaite said the $3 million will jump-start funding efforts and allow it to start a planning process. Construction for the four-acre exhibit is hoped to begin in 2009.

Polar bears have been absent from the zoo since November 2003 when a 14-year-old bear swallowed a glove that had been thrown into its cage. The bear died and zookeepers chose not to replace it.

"It's extremely unfortunate, but we want to give them a good home," Braithwaite said. "Now we're on track to do that."

The zoo was turned down for a $65 million property tax bond in 2007 that would have made up all but $20 million needed for its "Renew the Zoo" program. The Salt Lake County Council voted against putting the bond to voters.

Despite the setback, the zoo has an aggressive marketing campaign aimed toward raising the needed funds and hasn't given up hope on getting public money for the project, Braithwaite said. The organization is also actively soliciting donations from a variety or sources.

The Arctic exhibit is a priority for the zoo because saving polar bears in zoos may preserve them from extinction, Braithwaite said. Climate change in the bears' natural habitats makes the situation urgent.

When it's complete, the zoo hopes its exhibit will send a strong message of conservation and will help to educate guests about the importance of human impact on animals' homes. That part of the plan was very exciting to the foundation and helped sway it, Eccles said.

"This is one of our major donations for 2008," she said.

The zoo plans to make the exhibit reflect the bears' natural habitats by seeking advice from people who are native to parts of the world where the bears flourish. The exhibit is expected to fit thematically with the zoo's elephant and tiger exhibits, both of which were recently redone in accordance with the "Renew the Zoo" plan.

The Arctic exhibit is planned to separate guests from the bears by only glass, for "nose to nose" viewing. Viewers will be able to see the bears both on land and underwater, Braithwaite said.

In addition to bears, the Arctic exhibit may feature arctic foxes, wolves, seals and northern birds such as white owls.

For more information about the zoo and its renewal program, visit hoglezoo.org. Donations can also be made and tickets purchased through the site.

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E-mail: RPalmer@desnews.com