Arctic ally

Polar bears are synonymous with wildlife conservation. Their reliance on imperiled Arctic sea ice perfectly illustrates the impact of a warming climate. In zoos, the charismatic megafauna rank among the top attractions. With the help of researchers like University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources alumna Erin Curry, these zoo bears play an important role in the conservation of their wild brethren.

Curry is the director of the Polar Bear Signature Project at the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and the co-chair of the Polar Bear Research Council. Her role involves collaborating with more than 35 zoological institutions and numerous national and international partners, including field researchers.

"One of the main objectives of my research program is to develop monitoring techniques using zoo bears that we can then use to learn more about wild polar bears," said Curry, who graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in animal science.

Wild polar bears are difficult to study; their remote location in the Arctic necessitates travel by helicopter. Freezing temperatures, months of darkness and a species that can travel up to 15,000 square miles in a year, over land and sea, add to the challenge.