Icebergs float in the cold Arctic Ocean. Much of the Arctic Ocean is covered in ice. The land nearby is frozen. There are few people or trees. For polar bears, the Arctic is home. They hunt animals on the sea ice. But large areas of sea ice are melting. Polar bears and their habitat are in danger.

What Zoos Can Do

The Saint Louis Zoo is building a new home for polar bears. Zoo officials hope as many as five bears will live in it. Their habitat will have rocks for climbing and saltwater pools. People will be able to see the bears up close. Visitors will learn about protecting the animals' habitat.

Jeffrey Bonner is the zoo's president. He says that when people visit polar bears in zoos, they want to help them. "They are beautiful animals," says Bonner. "When you see the species in all its glory, you can't help but care more for it."

Arctic Adventure

Shaun MacGillivray spent more than eight months in the icy north. He helped make the Imax movie To the Arctic. The film crew stayed safe in a boat. They filmed a mother polar bear and her cubs. The crew's hands and equipment would start to freeze when they filmed underwater. "In the end," MacGillivray told TFK, "we told the story about how difficult it is to survive in an environment that is changing every day."