Binky (polar Bear) - Early Life

Early Life

Binky was found orphaned on Cape Beaufort, North Slope, Alaska in May 1975 and was rescued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He was then given to the Alaska Children's Zoo (later the Alaska Zoo) in Anchorage, where he quickly became one of the zoo's most popular attractions. His keeper commented in 1976 that Binky was a performer and cried in the evenings when his applauding, laughing visitors left for the day.

Binky was initially placed in a 13 foot by 20 foot oval cage, which he quickly outgrew. The prospect of raising the estimated $150,000 needed for a new, larger enclosure was uncertain, and zoo officials feared Binky would have to be sent to the Milwaukee Zoo. A fundraiser and open house were held to raise money for the effort, and "school children, civic organizations, and businesses rallied around" the bear. Ultimately, the greatest contribution to the zoo's effort was the city's purchase of the zoo land for $100,000, which the zoo agreed to buy back in 55 annual installments of $2,500. Binky's new enclosure opened in May 1977. That year, Binky made an appearance as "my dog Spot" in one of Cal Worthington's car dealership commercials.

As Binky approached sexual maturity, zoo officials negotiated for the purchase of a female polar bear named Mimi from the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma. As the transfer was being finalized, however, Mimi died from a viral disease in Tulsa. In February 1979, young polar bear twins (Nuka, a female, and Siku, a male) joined Binky in his enclosure. Binky got along poorly with Siku, however, so Siku was given to a zoo in Morelia, Mexico in 1981.

As a full-grown bear, Binky weighed 1,200 pounds. His keeper commented in 1983, "Binky is stubborn independent, and he likes to play games. When he's really feeling obstinate, he walks halfway into his den and sits down. He knows I can't close it. He's a very smart bear."