Laerke the polar bear is getting ready to leave Tacoma and a potential future as a mom could be waiting for her in the Midwest.
Laerke the polar bear is getting ready to leave Tacoma — and a potential future as a mom could be waiting for her in the Midwest.
The 5-year-old polar bear will leave Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium later this fall for an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo as part of a preliminary breeding recommendation from the Polar Bear Population Alliance.
Laerke has been carefully matched with a potential breeding partner, although her comfort and behavior will determine how quickly the two bears are introduced.
The move could give Laerke a chance to raise cubs while contributing to efforts to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse polar bear population in zoos.
There’s still time for Laerke’s Tacoma fans to say goodbye. Her exact departure date has not been set, and the zoo said it will announce where she’s headed later in coordination with her new zoo.
Laerke, pronounced LAIR-keh, arrived at Point Defiance in 2023 when she was 2 years old, along with her twin sister, Astra. Astra left Tacoma in 2025, also on a breeding recommendation.
“It has been incredibly special to watch Laerke grow from a young bear into the cautious, gentle and powerful animal she is today,” Malia Somerville, Point Defiance Zoo’s facility representative for the Polar Bear Population Alliance, said in a statement. “We will miss her deeply, but we’re excited about what this next chapter could mean for Laerke and for polar bear conservation.”
6/6/2023 (Katie G. Cotterill/Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium)Astra and Laerke.Laerke had a difficult start to life. A medical emergency shortly after her birth at the Detroit Zoo and ongoing health issues meant she needed intensive care and was ultimately hand-raised by humans.
But when it comes to potentially becoming a mother, the zoo expects instinct to take over.
Female polar bears typically reach reproductive maturity between 4 and 6 years old. Point Defiance veterinarians have monitored Laerke’s fecal hormone levels for the past year, and testing shows she is experiencing estrus cycles.
Until moving day arrives, Laerke will continue getting the enrichment she’s accustomed to, including wood wool, boomer balls, ice blocks and treats. Her keepers will also work with her new care team to help them learn her individual needs and routines.
The move comes as polar bears face serious challenges in the wild. They are classified as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, with the loss of Arctic sea ice due to a warming climate making survival increasingly difficult.
Point Defiance Zoo said it does not have immediate plans to bring in another polar bear after Laerke leaves. However, it will remain a designated polar bear facility and could provide a home for another bear in the future.
The zoo also plans to continue its polar bear conservation and research work, including its partnership with Polar Bears International.
