Bear necessities

A remodel at the Oregon Zoo means top-down fun for Conrad and his gal pals

By Jill Spitznass

The Portland Tribune, Jan 21, 2003, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Like any 17-year-old guy, Conrad’s idea of a good time is having the top down and two 18-year-old girls to frolic with. OK, one of them is his sister, but he still loves the wind in his hair, er, fur.

Conrad, his sister, Tasul, and their polar pal, Yugyan, are enjoying their recently remodeled digs at the Oregon Zoo, where the removal of the roof over their winter pool has created an open-air playground for the polar bears Ñ not to mention one-of-a-kind entertainment for zoo visitors.

Zoo officials decided to remove the roof after it became clear that the bears preferred the roofless summer pool. The job, paid for by Metro, the area’s regional government and operator of the zoo, cost about $40,000.

The teenage trio spend their days meandering between the two pools and diving into the chilly water, where the bears are in their element. Using their massive paws to push off the several-inch-thick glass, the animals glide effortlessly through the deep pool, exhibiting a strikingly incongruous combination of heft and grace.

The exhibit has been the bears’ home since 1986, when they came to Portland from the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C. Talk about six degrees Celsius of separation: The bears’ keeper at Riverbanks, Tony Vecchio, is now the director of the Oregon Zoo.

This fatherly connection explains why Vecchio, 47, often is seen shaking his head at the three bears’ antics.

“They’re just like big kids Ñ big kids that can kill you,” he says only half-jokingly, referring to the polar bear’s reputation for ferocity.

And like kids, the bears like toys Ñ and tire of them quickly Ñ which compels the trainers to keep a steady stream of playthings coming.

Long, green carwash strips are a fresh addition to the watery toy box. Conrad is especially fond of the seaweedlike lengths, which he pulls through the pool with a balletic ease. That is, until Yugyan grabs the end of the strip and a hearty game of tug of war ensues.

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