The Story of Bärle

Bärle's Introduction
September 2003. Bärle is very healthy and in great shape. When she came to us she had not had a chance to do much exercise at the circus so she had the shape of a pear. Now she is svelte and has definite muscle definition. She can dive to the bottom of the pool with ease and grace whereas she had to struggle to do that when she first started to swim. Story

Bärle isolated from other bears at ARL
March 2003. "Bärle," the only female among six polar bears seized last November in Puerto Rico from the Suarez Brothers Circus by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, remains in quarantine at the Zoo's Arctic Ring of Life exhibit due to a fungal skin condition contracted during her years in the Caribbean's tropical climate. Story

Bärle's Journey Begins
November 19, 2002. The six polar bears recently confiscated from the Suarez Brothers Circus in Puerto Rico, were shipped on November 19 via Federal Express to three U.S. zoos accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Story