My School Rocks! 2014-03 - Our 10th Anniversary Edition | Page 32

PA
TC
HES
aro

H

IT
TW
L OU
CHIL

n

from
the
sun
to their
dark
skin, which
B absorbs
nie heat quickly.
la
Me Over the summer,
By Patches will stay cool
with air conditioning, a
chilled pool, piles of ice and
frozen treats.

W

hen the Erie Zoo in
Pennsylvania began
major renovations, its polar
bear needed a new home. The
North Carolina Zoo stepped
up, and 700-pound Patches has
settled in.
Patches arrived
in November,
just in time for
her favorite
season. Unlike
black and brown
bears, which
hibernate in the
winter, polar
bears’ bodies are
well-adapted for
cold weather.
They have small
ears, extra fur
on their feet and
claws that grip
the ice. Their
transparent hair
transfers rays

32 – My School Rocks! | March 2014

Polar bears in the wild spend
the winter on natural ice packs.
They mate, have cubs, hunt
for ring seals and fatten up
for the warmer months when

the ice packs melt and they
have to find other food