[Rhodes22-list] women :-)

[Michael Meltzer]

Frosty Relations Give Polar Bear Sore Head 
Fri April 4, 2003 11:25 AM ET 
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Authorities at Dublin Zoo, worried by the erratic behavior of their female polar bear, commissioned a study to find the problem and discovered she simply had a bad case of marital stress. 
Experts monitored the behavior of the bear and her mate and concluded the female's constant, agitated pacing of their shared enclosure was due to the male. 

"The report found that the female demonstrated symptoms of stress when she was near the male and to remove this stress a separate area or retreat exclusive to the female polar bear was recommended," Dublin Zoo director Leo Oosterweghel said. 

Now the pair, Ootec and Spunky, are to be moved to new accommodation in eastern Hungary where Spunky can chill out in her own exclusive space. 

Oosterweghel said it was not possible to redesign the enclosure at Dublin Zoo to separate the bears, so staff looked at a number of European locations before deciding on Hungary's Sosto Zoo. 

"The enclosure in Hungary will allow each polar bear to spend time by themselves if they choose and yet will still allow them to come together when and if they choose," Oosterweghel said, adding that Dublin Zoo would keep tabs on the bears' progress after they move to their new home next week.