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SALT LAKE CITY — Hogle Zoo is getting two new polar bears after losing its only polar bear to kidney failure in April.
Nora and Hope, two unrelated bears, are both about 1 ½ years old and will join the zoo this fall, officials announced Wednesday. The bears will live in Rocky Shores, an exhibit that allows visitors to see them swim underwater.
"Saving polar bears is a huge commitment our zoo is making," Director of Conservation Liz Larsen said in a news release. "We're so excited that we have this opportunity to demonstrate our leadership in polar bear conservation with these cubs."
Nora was born at the Columbus Zoo in November 2015 and had to be hand-raised after her mother there abandoned her, according to the Hogle Zoo. Nora was sent to the Oregon Zoo so she could socialize with their polar bear, but he passed away shortly after she arrived.
"From the time she was a week old, Nora has interacted almost exclusively with people," Cutting said. "Hope should be a great companion for her. The two bears were born less than a month apart and they have a similar youthful energy."
She is already famous after a video of her playing in ice went viral on Facebook last October. The Oregon Zoo often posts videos of Nora’s antics on their Facebook and YouTube pages.
Hope was born at the Toledo Zoo in December 2015 and was named after Point Hope, Alaska.
"In her almost two years, Hope has been a great ambassador for her endangered species and become much beloved by the Toledo Zoo community," said Shayla Moriarty, Toledo Zoo's director of communication.
Polar bears are a part of Hogle Zoo's Big 6 conservation species. The zoo has cared for polar bears since 1957, raising 10 cubs during that time. Between 2003 and 2012, the zoo had no polar bears while Rocky Shores was built. Rizzo was the first polar bear to live there.
The zoo will send keepers to both the Toledo and Oregon zoos to spend time with the bears before they are moved.
The Hogle Zoo has not yet said when the polar bears will make the trek to Utah.
Editor's note: The content of this article was taken from a press release sent out by the Utah Hogle Zoo. This is not information gathered by KSL.com reporters.
