The Frozen Tundra at Singapore Zoo allows visitors to get a little peek into the arctic region. Built to house Singapore Zoo’s very own Inuka, the first polar bear to be born in the tropics, Frozen Tundra is like a sprawling condominium complex complete with swimming pools and nosey neighbours.
Welcome to the Frozen Tundra
The first sight greeting visitors to the Frozen Tundra is a large outdoor pool just for Inuka. Rocky outcrops and an ‘island’ formation within the pool provide some interest and variation to the landscape. Areas with softer substrates are designed to allow Inuka to engage in some digging activities. Overally, it definitely looks more natural compared to the previous polar bear enclosure which looked very much like a condominium swimming pool.
Some of Inuka’s ‘toys’ line the way to the entrance of the Frozen Tundra’s air-conditioned hall or ‘ice cave’.
On the right side of the hall is Inuka. Here, visitors can come up close to him and it is pretty amazing to see Inuka, with his enormous bulk, brushing right past the viewing window with visitors standing just centimeters away.
Despite being the world’s largest land carnivore, Inuka also has to keep healthy and his keepers make sure he gets his intake of greens.
Racoon Dogs and Wolverines
Sharing the Frozen Tundra with Inuka are two other species, raccoon dogs and wolverines.
Raccoon dogs are native to East Asia. The pair at the Singapore Zoo are named Pom and Poko and come from Japan’s Asahiyama Zoo. They are related to dogs but do not bark or howl. Instead, they are known to purr, growl and even scream. In Japan, they are commonly known as “tanuki” and appear in Japanese folklore and legends, and are supposed to bring good fortune.
Further in, visitors can view a pair of wolverines. These are Bori and Ivana and they are from Russia’s Novosibirsk Zoo. Wolverines are the largest land-dwelling species of the weasel family.
Visitors can find out more about each species from panels lining the wall. There is even a section that traces Inuka’s key milestones since birth.
Near the exit is an exhibit on importance of conservation and of adopting green practices, along with an igloo for young children to climb into.
Frozen Tundra is open daily from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm at Singapore Zoo.
