Dr. Tom Smith will reveal how climate change is altering the rhythm of polar bear parenthood. Every Arctic winter, pregnant polar bears excavate a tunnel in the snow to serve as their over-winter maternity ward. But as climate change transforms the Arctic, mother bears are being forced to adjust where and when they den. Will their maternal strategies adapt fast enough?
Dr. Tom Smith, associate professor and research wildlife biologist in the department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences at Brigham Young University and Polar Bears International, spent 15 years researching North American bears and is an authority on den emergence ecology.
The Oregon Zoo's Senior keeper Nicole Nicassio will also discuss recent polar bear welfare breakthroughs at the Oregon Zoo and explore how zoo research supports field conservation efforts. Learn how you can help polar bears too from the Zoo's Arctic Ambassadors.