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Denver Zoo's Male Polar Bear To Move To Ohio Zoo For Potential Breeding

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Denver Zoo's two polar bears, Cranberry and Lee, will leave to find new mates.

A zoo in central Ohio says an 18-year-old polar bear will be arriving at the facility this fall to be introduced to twin polar bear sisters for potential breeding.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium says it will be welcoming a male polar bear named Lee from the Denver Zoo.

Zoo officials say Lee will need to complete a mandatory quarantine period before being introduced to 11-year-old twin sisters Aurora and Anana.

The zoo says there are only 44 polar bears in North American zoos.

Polar bears are native to areas including Alaska, Canada, Russia, Norway, and Greenland. Experts say their populations are declining due to the disappearance of sea ice. The experts estimate the number of polar bears left in their native range as around 20,000 to 25,000.

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