Watch CBS News

America's Oldest Polar Bear Gets Her Own Patch Of Snow At S.F. Zoo

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Winter arrived early for the San Francisco Zoo's resident polar bear Friday morning when ten tons of snow was delivered to her habitat, zoo officials announced.

The delivery was a special treat for the 35-year-old Arctic native named Uulu, who is also the oldest polar bear in North America, according to zoo officials.

San Francisco Zoo Polar Bear Uulu Enjoys a 'Snow Day'
Uulu the polar bear in 2016. (San Francisco Zoo)

Uulu has lived at the zoo since 1985. She was given a permanent home there after she was found foraging in a dump and trying to sneak into homes in Churchill, Canada, zoo officials said.

"Our expert animal, medical and wellness teams have spent a lot of time collaborating to keep Uulu in the best health possible for her advanced age," the zoo's vice president of marketing and strategic growth Steven Haines said in a statement. "This event is a great way to connect with Uulu and learn more about the animals the zoo has rescued over the years.

Aside from Uulu, many other animals have been rescued from poor conditions, such as sea lions, grizzly bears, hippo and bald eagles, according to zoo officials.

The special delivery was provided by ABODA, a global housing solutions company, which recently opened a regional office serving the greater Bay Area, zoo officials said.

"Delivering a snow day to Uulu is our way of extending the early comforts of winter to her as well as doing a great thing for our local community in the Bay Area," ABODA's President Lee Curtis said in a statement.

Earlier this year, on International Polar Bear Day, Feb. 7, Uulu also received snow, which stuck around for three days.

© Copyright 2016 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.