Polar Bears Turn Green

The Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens has a new attraction: Green polar bears.

Three normally white polar bears have turned green recently, after swimming in a pond containing algae. The bears sparked concern among zoo visitors as to whether or not the bears were sick or moldy.

Zoo official Masami Kurobe says due to the high temperatures in July and August, in combination with less frequent changing of the pool water to conserve, caused algae to grow in the pond and moat. He also added that the algae is harmless and sticks to hollow spaces in the polar bear's coat, making it harder to rinse off.

The bears are expected to return to their natural color once the algae subsides sometime in November.

A similar event was reported to have happened at a Singapore zoo in 2004. Sheba and her son, Inuka were colored green by the algae, but only for a short time. The bears were later bleached with hydrogen peroxide.

And according to Polar Bears International, a nonprofit conservation group based in North America, three bears were also turned green at the San Diego Zoo in California. It is reported though, that they were cured using a salt solution.