Splish splash, Tundra's taking a bath!
It's hot. No one is immune to the Colorado summer sun, and when you are wearing a fur coat all year round, it is particularly important to stay cool during soaring temperatures.
The Denver Zoo has found a fun way for its grizzly bear, Tundra, to enjoy summer and stay engaged through enrichment activities: a bubble bath!
"It’s a big bubble bath for a big bear! While Miss Tundra is no stranger to bubbles, we mixed it up this time by providing this set up in a stock tank, creating somewhat of a kiddie-pool for everyone’s favorite brown-eyed gal," said the zoo on its Facebook page.
Watch Tundra play in the water in this video, courtesy of the Denver Zoo:
While Tundra's pool time definitely keeps her cool, the bubbles and tank also create engagement to help her stay entertained and active.
"This type of enrichment is particularly fun because it encourages Tundra to investigate, and to cool off on hot summer days like today!" said the zoo.
Tundra lives in the Harmony Hill exhibit, which is meant to mimic two different types of environments that are natural to the bears: a state park and a Colorado back yard. It is meant to teach Coloradans how to co-exist with bears properly, including education on how to avoid bear encounters to keep man and wildlife safe.
Tundra has been a zoo resident since 2002. She was rescued from her native Alaska after her mother was euthanized for being a “problem” bear in an Alaskan community. She moved into the Harmony Hill habitat in 2019, which has places for her to express natural behaviors like digging, climbing, and denning when hibernation rolls around, as well as other enrichment activities like a pool, hammocks, and more.
Have you visited Tundra at the Denver Zoo? Let us know in the comments below!