Hogle Zoo Brings Polar Bears, Grizzlies To Utah

Black bears live in remote backcountry areas in Utah but they are very shy and seldom seen. It has been many years since grizzly bears lived in the wild in Utah. In years past, Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City has been home to both polar bears and grizzlies, but both species have been absent recently.

Now the zoo is expanding and building a new exhibit called Rocky Shores, which will house bears, sea lions and seals.

The zoo has arranged to get a polar bear named Rizzo. The YouTube video embedded below shows Rizzo.

KSL TV has this report on the zoo's expansion. Here are excerpts.

Once completed, visitors of the zoo will have opportunity to come face to face with 14-year-old Rizzo, who is being transferred from a zoo in Cincinnati. And when we say a "face to face," we're talking nothing more than a few sheets of glass.

Utah newest animal friends will start moving into their new home this spring, everyone at the zoo will be ready.

"We have a pretty good schedule set up, probably starting in March, bringing the animals in, kind of staggering it a little bit and setting them up in quarantine. As the exhibits become ready, we'll start introducing them into the exhibits."