(Photo: Oregon Zoo)
In an effort to bring attention to the plight of polar bears, the Oregon Zoo is offering free admission this Saturday to anyone who arrives by bike.
Their second annual “Bike for Bears” event will also offer $2 valet bike parking — with all the money going toward bear conservation projects.
“Biking means I get some exercise, everyone else in the region gets cleaner air and polar bears get a bit more of the ice they need for
hunting.”
— Metro Councilor Robert Liberty
Steve Hash is one of the Zoo’s animal keepers (and a regular BikePortland.org reader). He says the bike theme of the day goes beyond free admission and valet parking.
From 10-11am on Saturday morning, they’ll be giving the zoo’s polar bears fun treats and toys, including faux bikes with tires made from barrels. The bears will also enjoy an artist’s illustration of a bike drawn on the window of the their exhibit, and Hash says, “It will be drawn with cream cheese, which is one of their favorite foods.”
Oregon Zoo director Tony Vecchio hopes the event gets more people to “connect with the bears in a way that inspires a desire to help them… People must care about an issue before they’ll be moved to act.”
Metro Councilor Robert Liberty (Metro owns the Oregon Zoo) — a regular bike commuter himself — points out the connection between biking and polar bears: “Biking means I get some exercise, everyone else in the region gets cleaner air and polar bears get a bit more of the ice they need for
hunting.”
Biking to the Zoo is easy. You can either climb up the quiet roads or take the MAX.
More information on the Bike for Bears event at OregonZoo.org.