Tue, Oct 21, 2008 - Page 13 News List

Polar bear slips into moat playing with toy at zoo 動物園北極熊玩到跌入壕溝

Right: A polar bear plays with a special ball in a pond at Budapest Zoo in Budapest, Hungary. The ball, which is tooth- and claw-proof, was given by a donator to mark World Animal Day on Oct. 5, 2008.
右圖:匈牙利首都布達佩斯的布達佩斯動物園內,一隻北極熊在池裡玩弄一顆特製的球。這顆耐咬耐抓的球是本月五日一位民眾為紀念世界動物日而捐給動物園。照片:歐新社

PHOTO: EPA

A playful polar bear that once spent nine days trapped in a moat has done it again. Zero, a 19-year-old polar bear, lost his balance and slipped into the moat while pawing at a toy at Milwaukee County Zoo, Wisconsin, US.

Zoo spokeswoman Laura Pedriani says a net caught Zero when he fell so he wasn’t hurt. Zoo workers cut the netting and the 19-year-old polar bear was walking around later in the day.

Pedriani says Zero decided to climb out of the moat when he got hungry.

The polar bear was closer to visitors but his only exit from the moat went into his regular enclosure. A fence still separated visitors from the bear and the moat.

Zero weighs around 700kg and stands about 3.6m tall. His usual diet includes fish, fruit, vegetables and lard balls.

Zero fell into the same moat 15 years ago and stayed there for nine days.(AP)

一隻曾困在壕溝裡九天的頑皮北極熊,最近又重蹈覆轍。美國威斯康辛州密爾瓦基郡立動物園內一隻名叫「小零」的十九歲北極熊,在扒玩玩具時,一時重心不穩失足跌入壕溝。

動物園女發言人蘿拉.佩吉安妮說,小零摔落時被防護網接住,所以沒有受傷。動物園員工割斷網子,之後,這隻十九歲的北極熊又開始四處閒晃了。

佩吉安妮說,小零一肚子餓,就自行爬出壕溝。

這隻北極熊當時的位置比較接近遊客,但牠離開壕溝的唯一出口就是牠的日常圈地。遊客和熊及壕溝之間仍隔著一道柵欄。

小零體重約七百公斤,站立時約有三百六十公分高。他平常的飲食包括魚類、水果、蔬菜和豬油球。

小零十五年前也曾跌落同一個壕溝,受困九天。(美聯社�翻譯:袁星塵)

EXTRA INFO 小小百科

Because they are difficult to monitor, nobody is entirely sure how many polar bears there are, but experts estimate there are about 25,000 in the wild.

因為北極熊不易監測,所以沒人能確定北極到底有多少隻北極熊,但專家估計,北極的野生北極熊約有兩萬五千隻。


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