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The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is a large, Arctic carnivoran. It is an adoptable animal in all three mainline Zoo Tycoon games, as well as the DS games and Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game.

Description[]

Weighing up to 700 kg (1540 lbs), the Polar Bear is the largest of eight extant species of bear, as well as the largest living land carnivore. Closely related to the Grizzly Bear, it is adapted to live in the Arctic. Compared to other bears, it has a longer, more streamlined body, with thick fur and tissue to keep it warm. Although its fur appears white, it is actually colorless. Polar bears are commonly found on sea ice and have further adaptations for a largely marine life. It can swim for days using its large front paws, which also help spread its weight when walking on snow and ice.

Unlike most bears, polar bears are hypercarnivores, with a preference for seals, especially ringed seals. A favored hunting technique is to wait by a breathing hole in the ice and catch the seal when it surfaces. Polar bears will also hunt and scavenge other animals, such as walruses and belugas, but rarely attack humans. Like many Arctic species, polar bears are at risk due to global warming melting the sea ice on which they thrive.

Zoo Tycoon[]

The polar bear is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and is available in the base game. In Freeform mode, it is not unlocked until June 1. Each polar bear costs $1,500 to adopt.

The polar bear is a tundra animal and requires a large exhibit with an equal amount of snow and salt water. It does not require foliage, but requires both Snowy Rocks and Formations for its habitat suitability. The polar bear can use the Snowy Rock Cave, Concrete and Wood Shelters.
Curiously, a polar bear exhibit can reach a suitability rating of 100% if nearly the entire land section is filled with Snowy Rock Formations; however, this leaves no room to place a shelter. Additionally, if Marine Mania is installed, 100% suitability can also be achieved by switching out the water area for a tank. This will also eliminate the need for Snowy Rock Formations.

With the addition of the Marine Mania expansion pack, the polar bear can be placed in a hybrid exhibit. It can use the Ice Floe, although these are not required.

Magnet[]

Magnet box sm

Magnet was a polar bear that lived most of his life at the Baltimore Zoo. Born around 1988, Magnet arrived at the Baltimore Zoo, currently known as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, when he was three years old. He had received his name due to the way he stuck to his mother's side. He was extremely popular with visitors and would often be seen playing with his favourite red ball. Magnet lived at the Baltimore Zoo for the rest of his life, eventually being euthanized on April 28, 2015, after succumbing to kidney and liver disease.

During development for Zoo Tycoon, Microsoft held a promotional competition entitled the Beast in Show. Real-life zoo animals could be nominated and the winner would be included in the game. Magnet won this competition and was included as a downloadable animal. In game, Magnet functions exactly like a regular polar bear, with the main differences being a different model showing off his cream-coloured coat and a distinct animation where he plays with his red ball.

Although a real-life animal, Magnet is still treated as a standard animal in-game, and as such it is possible to adopt multiple Magnets, including females.

Zoo Tycoon 2[]

The polar bear is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2 and is available in the base game. It is adoptable in Campaign and Challenge Mode once a zoo reaches a star rating of 3, where it costs $10,000 to adopt. In the Marine Mania expansion pack, the polar bear gains the ability to dive and swim underwater.

The polar bear lives in the tundra biome and can swim if it has deep water in its exhibit. It is a carnivore, only eating meat and fish and can use a variety of enrichment items, including balls, squeaky toys, holiday presents, ice floes and the live food lizard and fish. The Polar bear can use several shelters, including the small wooden shelter, concrete shelters, caves and cubbing den. Furthermore, polar bears are territorial and unrelated males will fight and potentially kill each other. Female polar bears can give birth to 1–3 cubs in a litter.

Zoo Tycoon Website favicon zootycoon.com Description
The polar bear is the only marine bear, with a longer, more streamlined body than other bears for aquatic life. It has the plantigrade feet (heel and sole touching the ground) typical of bears, with five sharp, curved claws on each foot for grasping the ice and holding its prey. Long hair between the pads protects the bear's feet from the cold and provides traction on the ice. Stiff hairs on the forelegs, and very broad front feet, help the bear swim. All polar bears are white, although their fur may yellow in the summer. The largest wild bears ever weighed have been polar bears. Polar bears have little interest in other Arctic species, and they often ignore people entirely.

Zoo Tycoon (Xbox)[]

The polar bear is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon (Xbox) and is available in the base game. It is unlocked at a fame rating of 14.

Like most of the other bears in the game, polar bears are omnivorous and eat meat, fruits, vegetables, grass and fish. The polar bear's favourite enrichment item is the scratching post but they will also play with slides and activity centers. The polar bear is primarily a tundra animal, but is also compatible with the Andean Plateau, alpine and temperate forest biomes. The polar bear is an off-white with patches of brown with a black nose and grey eyes, it also has an albino variant that has a chance of being born when bred. The Albino variant features a pink nose and red eyes.

Fun Facts[]

  • The Polar Bear is one of the largest and most powerful carnivores on land.
  • Like all Bears, Polar Bears have an excellent sense of small. They can sniff out seal dens buried in thick layers of snow and ice.
  • Polar Bears live throughout the ice-covered waters of the Arctic, and their range is limited by the Southern extent of sea ice.
  • Male Polar Bears can be two to three times larger than female Polar Bears.
  • A Polar Bear's white coat provides camouflage in snowy surroundings. They have thick fur, and black skin underneath that absorbs the heat of the sun. Below the fur and skin is a 4-inch layer of blubber.

Gallery[]

Zoo Tycoon[]

Zoo Tycoon 2[]

Zoo Tycoon (Xbox)[]

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