Come December, Nora will start a new chapter at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Wisconsin, where zookeepers hope she\u2019ll soon tackle another milestone. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe know this is an important step for her as well as for the overall polar bear population,\u201d said Rachel Ritchason, the Oregon Zoo\u2019s deputy director of animal care. \u201cIt would be amazing to see her raise some cubs and help ensure a long-term future for this very vulnerable species.\u201d<\/p>\n
But while it may seem like lonely times at Polar Passage (Amelia Gray, Nora\u2019s half sister, left Portland for Brookfield Zoo Chicago<\/a> in September), a new friend is on the way. <\/p>\n Kallik \u2014 a young male bear from the Saint Louis Zoo \u2014 will make the move from Missouri to Oregon soon after Nora\u2019s departure, according to the release. <\/p>\n It\u2019s fair to say the Rose City will miss Nora, who after four years at the Oregon Zoo felt like a true Portlander. She was born in 2015 and zoo-hopped between Utah and Ohio before finally settling in Oregon in 2021, where she had previously been the subject of The Oregonian\/OregonLive\u2019s five-part series \u201cThe Loneliest Polar Bear.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n Truthfully, you might not actually have to cancel your Thanksgiving plans in order to squeeze in a quick goodbye. If anything, a trip to the zoo during a traditionally hectic week may in fact be something to be thankful for. <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DAXBRV4M75F3VGMT7R35MUQEKU.JPG\")
Polar bear Nora has lived at the Oregon Zoo for four years, seen here on Wed., March 31, 2021.The Oregonian<\/p>\n