Sunday, October 19, 2008

Global Warming and Tropical Polar Bears

During my recent visit to the Singapore Zoo at the polar bear enclosure, two questions lingered on my mind. First, it was a documentary film I saw on SCV regarding how global warming threatens the survival of the polar bears in the Arctic. The ice is melting away at an incredible speed and it is getting harder for polar to find food. Although our polar bears in the zoo enclosure looks more well-fed than those I saw on in the documentary film, the few big rocks and brown flooring of the enclosure keeps me wondering what would happen to our mother earth if all the white Arctic ices were to melt away due to global warming and the whole area becomes a barren land?

Secondly, was a newspaper article I read sometimes back regarding some wildlife conservationists protesting about keeping of polar bears in a tropical climate country like Singapore. The article talks about closing our polar bear attraction and relocating our polar bears to a cooler country. When I read the papers, I thought why would the wildlife conservationists asked to move our polar bears since the polar bears have been with us for years and it is such a wonderful attraction for both locals and tourists visitors.

When I was at the polar bear enclosure recently, I was perspiring like crazy because it was a very hot day. True that I was lugging my heavy camera equipments in the unbearable heat around the zoo that is why I’m perspiring. If I’m feeling the heat of the day even in my dry-fit T-shirt and I’m not covered in thick fur as the polar bears, I’m wondering how the poor polar bears were feeling at that moment? I really feel pity for the poor polar bears! We wanted to have an attraction and we shipped these 8 footer tall giants from a vast wintery white land to a tropical enclosure!

As much as I love our Zoo, I hate to see any animal suffers for my viewing and photography pleasures. If the authority should decide to relocate our polar bears to a cooler country, I would give my full-hearted support!




2 comments:

Anthony said...

Chris,

I thought they have move the polar bear out of the zoo ?

It is really a tough for a polar bear to live in the hot climate like Singapore.

Chris Ting said...

Hi Anthony,

Yes, Singapore is too warm a place for Polar Bears. Unfortunately for the polar bears, they are still in the zoo enclosure.