Laerke, the 5-year-old polar bear who has called Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium home since 2023, will leave Tacoma later this fall for an AZA-accredited zoo in the Midwest, where she'll be paired with a potential breeding partner.
Her departure will leave the zoo without a polar bear.
She is one of only 37 polar bears living in U.S. zoos and aquariums, according to general curator Malia Somerville, who also serves as the zoo's representative to the Polar Bear Population Alliance.
"It's just kind of a temporary pause while hopefully the polar population continues to grow," Somerville told The News Tribune.
The Polar Bear Population Alliance, a consortium of AZA-accredited facilities, recommended the transfer so Laerke can contribute to the genetic diversity of the captive polar bear population. Polar bears are classified as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and wild populations face mounting pressure from Arctic sea-ice loss.
Laerke's twin sister, Astra, left Point Defiance in 2025 on a similar breeding recommendation and now lives at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota. The zoo has not announced Laerke's exact destination or the identity of her breeding partner; those details will come once plans are finalized with the receiving facility.
A bear with a following
Laerke (pronounced LAIR-keh) was born at Detroit Zoo and hand-raised by humans after a medical emergency shortly after birth. She arrived in Tacoma as a 2-year-old cub.
In May 2025, she went viral on TikTok after commenters described her behavior as unusual. Zoo staff said the behavior has always been part of her personality, describing her as having special needs linked to her hand-raised upbringing.
The Polar Bear Population Alliance discussed Laerke's behavior extensively before making its recommendation, Somerville said, and determined the bear selected to pair with her would be compatible.
Zoo veterinarians have monitored her hormone levels for the past year and confirmed she is showing signs of reproductive readiness.
What comes next for the habitat
Once Laerke departs, the zoo plans to move its penguins into the vacant polar bear space in early 2027 while construction begins on a new, significantly larger penguin habitat.
That project is funded through a bond voters approved in April 2026. The existing penguin habitat dates to 1989 and was originally designed as a temporary space.
The zoo said it has no immediate plans to acquire another polar bear but will remain a designated polar bear facility and a Polar Bears International Arctic Ambassador Center.
If a cub is born elsewhere that needs placement, Point Defiance could take one in again.
Somerville said the zoo will transport Laerke to the Midwest through a combination of flying and driving, working with an air transport company such as FedEx. Guests can still visit Laerke before she leaves; the zoo will announce her departure date when logistics are set.
According to the zoo's announcement, Somerville called Laerke "cautious, gentle and powerful" and said the staff will miss her deeply.
