PHOTOS: The Cutest Polar Bear Birthday You'll Ever See
Ladies and gentlemen, the miracle of nature is in full force over at the San Francisco Zoo.
Two of the facility's beloved polar bears, Piké and Ulu, celebrated their 30th and 32nd birthdays this past Thursday -- and the average life span of their species is only half that. The fuzzy critters are two of the oldest of their kind to live in an accredited United States zoo.
To mark the occasion, zoo officials pulled out all the stops. The polar bear habitat was decked out in ten tons of fresh new snow and SF Bulls hockey stars Hans Benson and Chris Frank stopped by to shoot icy fish pucks into the animals' enclosure.
Polar bears throughout the world have been at risk in recent years as global warming has transformed their habitats. "As the worldwide symbol of climate change, the presence of polar bears both in the wild and in zoological educational programs is a vital tool in carrying the messages of conservation," the San Francisco Zoo said in a statement.
Here's to another 30 years, Piké and Ulu!
Take a look at some photos from the birthday festivities below, and then scroll through the slideshow to see the zoo's other precious polar bears:
Via Huffington Post
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! They're so gorgeous
aaaahhhh
Happy Birthday and many more to both of them!
I would prefer to see polar bears live to their natural age in the wild where they belong than to any age in confinement where they don't belong. I don't believe in zoos, I think they should be banned. Wild animals should remain wild. If you want to view them go to Imax, there are sme great movies out on every animal you can emagine, filmed in the wild. Steve Harding.
Agree with anonymous completely. 32 YEARS JAILED IN A HOT ZOO is not preferable to 15 years in their own icy habitat.
What a beautiful polar bear, looks good and healthy for his age. This may be the only place left to see these great creatures soon.
I don't like to see them in zoos, but these two seem happy to be there, & at least they're safe. The way things are going for those in the wild i agree with anonymous, zoos may be the only place to see them soon,& that is better than not seeing them alive ever again.