Binky (polar bear)

Binky

Binky with tourist's shoe in his mouth
Species	Polar bear
Sex	Male
Born	1975 Cape Beaufort on Alaska's North Slope
Died	July 20, 1995 (age 20) Anchorage, Alaska

Binky (1975 – July 20, 1995) was a polar bear who lived at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. He was originally orphaned near Cape Beaufort, close to the Chukchi Sea, but was found by a driller in Northwest Alaska named David Bergsrud. The area where Binky was located is known to those living outside of Alaska as the North Slope. Alaska Fish and Game was contacted shortly after Binky's discovery, and arrangements were being made to find a zoo in the Lower 48. Anchorage had a small zoo at the time, with an elephant that a lady had won and a few other animals. When word got around that a polar bear cub had been found, folks started hunting for ways to stall the effort of sending Binky outside of Alaska. Time was needed to find a sponsor to fund an enclosure at the Alaska Children's Zoo for Binky. Alaska Fish and Game employees came up with the idea of flying Binky to a number of the inland North Slope villages. School was let out in these villages so all the children could come to the airstrips to see Binky. These received major news coverage. Finally things fell into place to allow the Anchorage zoo to take Binky. Binky quickly became one of its most popular attractions. He became a local hero and received international news coverage after mauling two zoo visitors in separate incidents in 1994. Binky died in 1995 from sarcocystosis, a parasitic disease.

Binky was found orphaned near Cape Beaufort, on Alaska's North Slope, in late April, 1975 by an oilfield worker. Efforts were made to locate his mother to no avail. By early May 1975 Alaska Fish and Game were contacted and began arrangements to find a zoo in the "lower 48" as the continental US is called, that would get Binky. Anchorage had a small zoo at the time, with an elephant that a lady had won and a few other animals. As these arrangements were being made to find a zoo in the "lower 48" as the continental US is called, word got around that a polar bear cub had been found, the communities near Nome and people in Anchorage petitioned Alaska Fish and Game to let Binky stay in Alaska. Anchorage had a small zoo at the time, with an elephant that a lady had won and a few other animals. AF&G found ways to stall sending Binky outside of Alaska. Time was needed to find a "sponsor" to fund an enclosure at the Alaska Children's Zoo for Binky. Alaska Fish and Game employees came up with the idea of flying Binky to a number of the inland North Slope villages. School was let out in these villages so all the children could come to the airstrips to see Binky. These received major news coverage. Finally things fell into place so the zoo located in Anchorage could take Binky. 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.