The Story Of Barle, the Detroit Zoo's Rescued Polar Bear

In 2002, Barle was one of six polar bears seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from a Mexican circus traveling in Puerto Rico.

The Detroit Zoo offered her a permanent home. When she first came to the zoo, Barle had to be placed in quarantine because of a fungal skin condition contracted during her years in a tropical climate.

Barle is now 25 and in 2004 gave birth to a cub named Talini.

The Detroit’s Zoo’s Scott Carter speaks about Barle, the conditions the wild-born animal suffered while in the circus, and her adjustment to zoo life.