Brown Bear Encounters

4731 O'Malley Road,Anchorage AK 99507

22 August, 2021

Description

Meet the Alaska Zoo's big brown bears up close and go behind-the-scenes with zookeepers. Enjoy a close encounter with the zoo's adult brown bears and the zookeepers who care for them. Brown Bear Encounters are held on select Sundays from 9am-10am through September 12th (the brown bears go into winter nap mode soon after). Important note: Encounters are limited to 4 total participants (the ticket buyer and up to 3 invited guests) and all must be age 9 and older. Masks are required for all participants. There are no exceptions allowed to these restrictions. We have a few rules and considerations listed below: Four participants are allowed per encounter date - the ticket buyer and up to 3 of their invited guests.All participants must be age 9 or older. No person under age 9 may attend.Masks are required for all participants in encounters (also required for zoo staff). This is for the safety of staff, participants and the zoo's animals.This encounter involves walking on uneven and hilly surfaces with potentially muddy conditions while entering the den building, the outdoor habitat and the rooftop access. Proper footwear (boots or rugged shoes) is required and all participants must be willing and able to navigate these trail conditions and hilly terrain.Photos are encouraged for your personal use and documentation of this experience, however the den building (the first part of the encounter) is a close and dark confined space in the keeper access hallway. Photo opportunities are limited inside the building due to these conditions, so participants should be aware that the best photos will be had from the rooftop access in the last part of the encounter.The bears are normally locked in their den building at this time of day for their morning feeding. We ask participants to arrive at the front of the zoo no later than 8:45am to meet the zookeeper and walk back to the brown bear habitat. The bears will be eager to eat indoors and be released into the outdoor yard so being on time for this experience is essential. Staff reserve the right to cancel the encounter with no refund if participants are tardy without notice.If you have a schedule issue or COVID concerns within your group, please contact us ahead of time to reschedule. We are happy to work with you! Refunds will not be given for no-shows.Tickets for encounter dates remain open until booked or until 48 hours from the encounter date.Additional COVID-19 safety: We require that participants let us know if they or anyone in the group are experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 such as including fever, cough, short breath, difficulty breathing, chills, weak sense of taste or smell, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, muscle/joint aches, nausea, rash, rigors, runny nose, sore throat, sputum. If this occurs, please notify us and stay home. We will accommodate your encounter at a rescheduled date and time.It is very important for the health and safety of zoo animals and staff that anyone feeling ill for any reason remain at home. Zoo staff will work with those individuals to reschedule. Be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAlaskaZoo for weekly animal videos! The Alaska Zoo is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting conservation of Arctic, sub-Arctic and like climate species through education, research and community enrichment. We opened our doors in 1969 and we are proud to celebrate over 50 years of service to the wildlife and people of Alaska. We are the only zoo in the Last Frontier of Alaska and we receive no city, state or federal funding. We rely on zoo sales and donations from supporters like you!