Polar World, Orsa Sweden

Today is a great day, not only for all animal friends in Dalecarlia, Sweden and around the world, but also for all polar bears. Polar World is the largest polar bear park in the world, and is the first of its kind to have a breeding program for polar bears.

- Words are not enough in expressing how proud we are to finally be able to open the park. The idea was born in 2004, and now our first polar bear couple, Ewa and Wilbär, have a new home here. The international interest has been enormous, says Torbjörn Wallin, CEO at Orsa Grönklitt, which holds Polar World.

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The 41 000 sq m eter polar bear park is open to the public in Orsa Bear Park at Grönklitt resort in Orsa, Dalecarlia. The polar bear park offers large and deep swimming waters, separate artificial snow production, space for fishing, dens for hibernation, including exhibition halls, amphitheatre and information areas for visitors.

The polar bear is today classified as an endangered species due to diminishing areas of ice around the polar areas and worsening conditions for hunting seal. One goal for the park is to ensure that polar bears have a good genetic variation in case of rehabilitation or relocating polar bears in the wild in the future. Polar World is acting as a European breeding facility for polar bears, and is also a part of a new European preservation project focused on polar bears.

- We have been listening to experts from all over the world and made a list of how their dream park for polar bears would look like. That is how Polar World was born.

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The Polar World Educational Centre on Polar Bears

The idea of Polar World is to spread knowledge about the polar bear and its conditions, in the same way as Orsa Bear Park does with other species today. Throughout the park efforts are focusing on information and education about the polar areas, polar bears and climate effects together with leading research experts from around the world. The facility offers both outdoor and indoor environments for this purpose. One example is the glass company Kosta Boda/Orrefors which has created realistic ice installations.

At the time of the opening of Polar World, two polar bears just moved in to the park; Ewa from Rotterdam Zoo and Wilbär from Stuttgart Zoo. Both of them have arrived to a colder climate zone with long winters and lots of snow and they will be the first polar bear couple in Polar World. The international interest has been enormous up to the opening date.

- People love animals, we knew that, but not in my wildest dreams could I predict the big interest, mostly from countries in Europe, says Torbjörn Wallin.

For more information, please contact:

Torbjörn Wallin, CEO Orsa Grönklitt. +46 (0)70 649 12 89, torbjorn.wallin@orsagronklitt.se

Kenneth Ekvall, Zoologist Orsa Grönklitt, +46 (0)70 400 77 55

A visit at Orsa Polar world

Skiing is great, but there is a lot more to choose from if you want to try something different in between skiing

Here are a few examples of activities we offer. A complete program is presented when checking in.

* Orsa Bear Park

* Snowmobile

* Dog Sledge

* Winter Fishing

* Skating

* Bowling in Orsa

* Massage

* Wood Fired Hot Tub

* Horse and Sleigh rides

* Mini snowmobiles< click here:

http://orsa.wd6.se/gronklitt-winter/activities__8911

The world famous Glass company Orrefors-Kosta Boda have been working on building the "ice" out of glass. This alone must be worth going to the new Polar Bear Zoo

Polar world is the largest park in the whole world for Polar bears. The installations in glass look like ice. Orrefors Kosta Boda got the contract 2008 and are now finished for the opening in May 2009!

The work is 14 Ice cones, Ice blocks and Ice mountains. The largest has a weight of 123 kilos

There is also an exhebibion about people living in Arctis. You can look out the windows and see the park where the Polar Bears Ewa dna Wilbear are now living!

Link to Kosta Boda