Hope, one of two new polar bears at Utah's Hogle Zoo, swims in the zoo's Rocky Shores exhibit in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. Hope, who was born at Ohio’s Toledo Zoo on Dec. 3, 2015, and Nora, who was born at Ohio’s Columbus Zoo on Nov. 6, 2015, arrived at Hogle Zoo following the death of Rizzo, who was euthanized in April due to ongoing complications from kidney failure. Hope and Nora arrived at the zoo in September, and now that they've acclimated to their surroundings, they're ready to meet the public.
Hogle Zoo sent Rocky Shores keepers to each sister zoo to spend time with both bears before they were transferred to Salt Lake City. The zoo has a long history of caring for polar bears, offering a home to the species from 1957-2003, during which time 10 offspring were produced. The opening of Rocky Shores in 2012 saw the much-anticipated return of a polar bear after a nine-year absence.
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