San Diego Zoo Blogs

Alicia Valencia is the San Diego Zoo's 2008 Arctic Ambassador to the Polar Bears International Leadership Camp. She spent a week on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, watching polar bears and teaming up with other dynamic teens to become leaders for polar bear conservation. Read her previous blog, Beautiful Northern Lights, and More Polar Bears Visit the Lodge.

(This blog is for Tuesday and Wednesday because I was on kitchen crew on Tuesday and traveling on Wednesday.)

Before this trip, I could have never fully understood how life-changing the Polar Bears International experience would be. But now, as I sit on a plane that takes me from my tundra Eden and PBI family, I cannot imagine what my life would be like without this opportunity. I have been fortunate to gain lifelong friendships with people who have a mutual dedication to a cause. I can say now, without a doubt, that through the last week I have grown as a person.
Read the rest of this entry »

Let's face it, we can't all afford to go on a safari in Africa, or see the jungles of India and witness the wildlife. But luckily for us, the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park has a Photo Caravan tour where you, your friends, and family can participate in a safari for a reasonable price.
Read the rest of this entry »

Kalluk and Tatqiq arrive in San Diego in 2001.

This week at the San Diego Zoo, one of our polar bears hit a milestone that caused us celebration and some reflection. In March of 2001, a male and female polar bear cub arrived as orphans from Alaska. We chose their names from Inupiaq, the langauge of the Inupiat. The little female had the most beautiful round, white face; we chose the Inupiaq word for " moon" Tatqiq. The male was also little and we hoped he would have great size as he grew, so thinking of a huge polar bear we chose the Inupiaq word for "thunder" Kalluk.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Rolling Safari tour at the Wild Animal Park is really fun! You get to ride around on an off-road Segway X2 with a tour guide who talks about the animals that are within view. A Segway can potentially travel at 12.5 miles per hour, but the tour speed is set to 8 miles per hour. Eight miles an hour might not seem too fast, but our group went on the tour on a day when it was 100 degrees, and we didn't even notice the heat because of how excited we were!
Read the rest of this entry »

Alicia Valencia is the San Diego Zoo's 2008 Arctic Ambassador to the Polar Bears International Leadership Camp. She is spending a week on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, watching polar bears and teaming up with other dynamic teens to become leaders for polar bear conservation. Read her previous blog, Polar Bear from my Bunk Bed Window!

Last night we finally got to experience the beauty of the Northern Lights! At around 10 p.m, a shimmering ribbon of green and red lights danced across the sky. The colors changed from red to green in seconds, curling their way over our heads toward the moon. I cannot believe I was able to experience such a magical phenomenon in the sky. Maybe we will get lucky and see them again. (This photo is not of the Northern Lights, but of the incredible sunset we viewed from the back deck of the Tundra Buggy Lodge.)
Read the rest of this entry »

Alicia Valencia is the San Diego Zoo's 2008 Arctic Ambassador to the Polar Bears International Leadership Camp. She is spending a week on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, watching polar bears and teaming up with other dynamic teens to become leaders for polar bear conservation. Read her previous blog, Surviving and Thriving on the Tundra.

While writing this blog, the feeling in my hands slowly returns. About five minutes before writing, I was outside in the cold snapping photos of a magnificent sunset overlooking the tundra landscape. I can see the horizon steadily turning from red to midnight blue through the reflection of the water as I continue watching the landscape from the inside of the lounge car. Over my shoulder the moon shines high in the sky above the bay. I am very excited for tonight because the sky is so clear that we may see the Northern Lights!
Read the rest of this entry »

Alicia Valencia is the San Diego Zoo's 2008 Arctic Ambassador to the Polar Bears International Leadership Camp. She is spending a week on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, watching polar bears and teaming up with other dynamic teens to become leaders for polar bear conservation. Read her previous blog, San Diego Zoo Arctic Ambassador Surrounded by Polar Bears!

Today was our first full day on a Tundra Buggy! After lunch, we loaded the mobile Tundra Buggy and set out to look for polar bears! We didn't find any bears for a while, so I was able to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the tundra. The ground of the tundra seems bleak and sparse at first glance, but looking more closely, I noticed how many colors are incorporated into the grasses. The ground is splotched with patches of crimson and royal purple. There are thousands of ponds sprinkled across the land like puddles on a bumpy road. At every opportunity, we tried to identify ducks and birds located around the ponds.
Read the rest of this entry »

Alicia Valencia is the San Diego Zoo's 2008 Arctic Ambassador to the Polar Bears International Leadership Camp. She is spending a week on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, watching polar bears and teaming up with other dynamic teens to become leaders for polar bear conservation.

Friday October 10, 2008, 10:21 pm
The past two days have been an incredible journey of new experiences, great opposites, and fun explorations. Before I arrived, I couldn't imagine how different life on the tundra for five days would be in comparison to San Diego life. But now, after feeling the striking temperature drop from San Diego's comfortable 98 degrees on Wednesday, I feel I've been able to notice the unique beauty of my surroundings. Throughout the day I have learned to love the way the wind makes the grasses ripple like the moving water. I have come to appreciate the violent waves of the Hudson Bay, crashing on the jagged coastal rocks. But of all my newfound treasures, I am in awe of a polar bear's behavior in the wild.
Read the rest of this entry »

Cusco, Department of Cusco, Peru
Unfortunately it's been over a month since I wrote my last blog (see Studying Bears in Peru). I'm sorry for the delay, and I'll try to post more frequently in the future! Due to problems with the generation of hydroelectricity for Quince Mil, the town is subject to rolling blackouts, which means that my Internet access is reduced by about 50 percent.
Read the rest of this entry »

Do you think you have what it takes to be a zookeeper?

A zookeeper's day starts bright and early by coming into the San Diego Zoo and checking on the animals to make sure they are doing fine. Each animal has a specific diet that they have, so the zookeepers have to make sure that the animals are given the right diet. During the day, animals are put on exhibit for the public to see. Another part of a zookeeper's job is to record how the animals are doing. This is so they can make sure the animals are doing fine, growing, and staying healthy. A zookeeper's day does not end until all tasks are complete and the animals are doing well.
Read the rest of this entry »