![\"Male](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3d70ef20-ccfc-425e-b037-a91e9eed397c-2e7c2b2f58c82062a280bfc195949143.jpg\"\/)
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Male polar bear Kallik in Polar Passage. \u00a9 Oregon Zoo \/ photo by Michael Durham.<\/p>\n
Gomez noted, “From around 2.5 to 5 years old, polar bears are considered \u2018subadults,\u2019 so Kallik is still growing and developing. We\u2019re looking forward to introducing such a young, energetic bear to zoo visitors.”<\/p>\n
The previous residents of Polar Passage, female bears Nora<\/a> and Amelia Gray<\/a>, recently relocated as part of a plan by the Polar Bear Population Alliance to maintain a sustainable, genetically diverse polar bear population in the U.S. <\/p>\n Polar bears are classified as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to changes in their Arctic habitat<\/a> caused largely by climate change.<\/p>\n Amy Cutting, vice president of conservation at Polar Bears International, stressed the role of zoos and aquariums in conservation efforts.<\/p>\n “Modern zoos and aquariums play a key part in saving this species,” she said. “Polar bears live in one of the harshest environments on the planet, making them notoriously difficult to study so we have gaps in our understanding of how climate change is affecting them. The bears in professional care can help.”<\/p>\n