- Carnivores are pretty impressive to work with. We call it the charismatic megafauna effect. All animals have personalities; just like you and I, they have likes and dislikes and little quirks. With the big guys—the megafauna—it’s much more dramatic. They definitely get a lot more attention and a bigger fan base.
- [Kali] did have a rough beginning—I think we see some of that in his personality—but I think his experiences kind of helped in the long run. [He came to the zoo as an orphan in 2015.] He is very comfortable in the zoo. He likes to watch people. He likes to interact with people. He definitely wants to be seen.
- Polar bears are the most carnivorous species of bear, but they all have a little bit of a sweet tooth. Kali likes fruit. Sometimes we’ll do apples or applesauce.
- In the winter, he’s fatty-meat-focused, but he’s also pretty hungry, and he’ll eat anything. He has a lard component of his diet. Obviously feeding him seals is not appropriate, so we replicate with lard.
- What we do can impact how polar bears live and whether or not this species is going to be around in the future. Kali is a good opportunity for us to have those conversations. We can talk about how he’s from the wild, and his family is still out in the wild, and they are losing sea ice. How can we make sure that his relatives out there have that sea ice so they can successfully hunt?
How the Saint Louis Zoo keeps polar bear Kali’s sweet tooth in check
"Kali likes fruit. Sometimes we’ll do apples or applesauce," says zoological manager of carnivores Julie Hartell-DeNardo.
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