There will soon be a family reunion at the Oregon Zoo.
Nora the Polar Bear is going to be reunited with her half-sister Amelia Gray.
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore announced Monday that it was relocating two of its polar bears by recommendation of an animal welfare non-profit. The two bears, Neva and Amelia Gray, originally came to the Maryland Zoo in 2018 as two-year-olds. They are also half-sisters.
According to the zoo, based on the recommendations from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, Amelia Gray will be transferred to the Oregon Zoo to be with her other half-sister Nora.
The zoo's general curator described Amelia Gray as "more cautious of her surroundings," saying that the bear seemed to do well having alone time. Officials said the Oregon Zoo's Polar Passage habitat "will be able to provide her with her own space as needed and opportunities for continued socialization.”
“At the time Neva and Amelia Gray came to the Zoo, they were almost two years old. We knew that at some point as they matured, they would eventually move to other zoos to continue their growth as adult bears,” said Mike McClure, general curator at the Maryland Zoo, in a statement. “These two are now almost 5-years-old and at a critical development stage in their lives."
Neva will be moved to another zoo where she will be paired with an older male polar bear, according to the Maryland Zoo.