Q&A Polar Bear Plunge With Anthony Nielsen

/ Post by Katie Billing of Polar Bears International

Chicago polar bear zoo keepers are making a BIG statement to alert the public about the issues polar bears face. Anthony Nielsen, a long time polar bear keeper and polar bear plunge participant, answers a few questions about what his team has done to make an impact.

Q: Why did you become a polar bear keeper?

A: I had worked with a diverse collection of animals over the years and thought I would like to work with something different. There was an opportunity to work with the bears so I jumped at the chance to do this.

Q: Do you have a special moment with polar bears that you would like to share?

A: My favorite moment with polar bears was when I got the chance to go to Churchill, Canada. I was there for an Earthwatch program studying climate change. We were driving out in the field one day in the truck when a polar bear decided that it was going to cross the road in front of us. Usually you only get that close to a bear in a tundra buggy and this one decided to just keep going on his way. This is something I will definitely never forget.

Q: What is the “Polar Bear Plunge?”

A: (The “Polar Bear Plunge” is an event held in the winter where a group of people jump into a body of water, despite the cold temperatures.) People have been doing polar bear plunges forever; we just decided that we should do it also. We then thought that it would be great for people to sponsor us and then come watch us do this crazy plunge.

Q: How have you been raising money for the event and how does it help Polar Bears International?

A: We have just been asking friends and family to sponsor us. We hope that the money we raise can be used by PBI for conservation, education and research to help support the bears and the animals native to their region.

Q: How can others support the plunge, or create plunges of their own?

A: People can support the plunge by going to polarbearsinternational.org and in the “company field” type Chicago zookeeper polar bear plunge. For people to create their own plunge, I will leave it up to them. It can be dangerous and they should definitely be safe about it.