NC Zoo Needs Donations To Expand Polar Bear Exhibit

Asheboro, NC -- It may have been warm and sunny in the Triad Wednesday, but it was snowing in part of Asheboro.

The snow and ice were part of a fundraising kick-off at the NC Zoo. It wants to expand the polar bear exhibit.

Zoo Director David Jones says research shows polar bears need more solid ground to thrive, not just ice and snow.

The expansion would add about an acre of ground to the exhibit. It would also allow the zoo to bring in younger bears and even breed them.

"Right now most of the polar bears in the U.S. are very old, and they are not breeding," said Jones. "We really need to be rejuvenating that population."

With the expansion, the exhibit would be home to six polar bears. The zoo is trying raise $2 million in private donations. It's already raised more than $1.2 million.

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