The North Carolina Zoo welcomes its newest resident, a 1,000-pound male polar bear, as part of its breeding efforts. The Zoo is hopeful the addition to the polar bear family will result in new offspring.

Payton, 17, is being relocated from the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee on the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP).

After Payton gets a clean bill of health from veterinarians, he will be introduced to Anana, the Zoo’s female polar bear. The polar bear breeding season typically lasts from February to April.

Payton is replacing Nikita, the Zoo’s male polar bear who arrived in 2016 but did not produce a cub with Anana after five breeding seasons. Nikita, 15, will be moved to Utah’s Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. The AZA uses a science-based approach to matching bears under human care in an attempt to foster more cub births. In 2008, the polar bear became the first species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened primarily due to climate change.

Currently, Payton is settling into his new quarters at the Zoo and is scheduled to meet Anana the second week of February – right around Valentine’s Day. Anana, 22, was born at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY, and arrived at the North Carolina Zoo in September 2014.

“Polar bear populations are declining, and zoos have a significant role in protecting the future of this vulnerable species,” said Jennifer Ireland, curator of mammals for the North Carolina Zoo. “When people see and learn more about polar bears and the effects of climate change in the Arctic, it brings awareness of their plight in the wild.”

Payton, named after Walter Payton – the late running back for the Chicago Bears NFL team – was born Nov. 8, 2003, at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Payton moved to the Memphis Zoo in 2006 as a mate for Haley. That pair also did not produce a cub.

“Seeing Payton leave is bittersweet. He has been a part of our lives at Memphis Zoo for the last 15 years,” said Amanda Moses, communications specialist for the Memphis Zoo. “He is special to Memphis Zoo, and to the keepers and researchers who have worked with him. Moving Payton was not only the best option for him, but also for the repopulation of the polar bear species.”

His arrival at the North Carolina Zoo also marks a reunion for Payton and North Carolina zookeeper Karen Warda. She was one of Payton’s keepers at the Memphis Zoo from 2009 to 2016. Warda will be Payton’s primary keeper for the first two weeks as he gets acclimated to his new digs.

Polar bears, which are native to North America, are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. There are an estimated 22,000-31,000 in the wild and polar bear numbers are projected to decline by 30% by 2050.

Polar bears are at the top of the food chain, or the apex predator, in the Arctic. The only threats to polar bears are humans, other polar bears and climate change as the species struggles to survive.

Polar bears are dependent on the sea ice, which is hunting grounds for their primary prey – seals. With less sea ice each season, polar bears are left with a shortened hunting season and less food for survival.

Adult males typically weigh anywhere from 775 to more than 1,300 pounds. Adult females are smaller, 330 to 650 pounds.

In the wild, polar bears live an average of 15 to 18 years, although biologists have tagged a few bears in their early 30s. Under human care, bears can reach their mid-30s.

Four of the world’s most famous star rubies (the rarest type of rubies), discovered just outside of Asheville, NC, are now on sale to the highest bidder (estimated to be worth over $90 million).

The stones were originally discovered by Jarvis Wayne Messer of Buncombe County in 1990, and after being examined by the world’s top gemological testing labs, the 139-carat Appalachian Star was put on display at the Natural History Museum in London “where a record audience of 150,000 people viewed the ruby over a two week period. Shortly thereafter, the gentleman who found the stones passed away and the Collection was returned to his family where it has quietly resided ever since,” according to Guernseys.

“When I found it, there was a red-tailed hawk that soared right over me,” Messer told a local reporter on North Carolina Now during an early 1990s interview. “I knew it was something special, but I didn’t realize how important the stones would be.”

Here is a collection of news interviews from the early 90s, taken soon after the rubys were originally discovered;

His now world-famous collection consists of;

‘The Appalachian Star Ruby’

At 139.43 carats, it is larger than the Rosser Reeves Star Ruby displayed at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History. It is a 28.6mm x 21.7mm x 19.1mm oval cabochon with semi-translucent, brilliant deep red color. Its star is sharp, perfectly centered and well-defined, with very straight, unbroken rays.

‘The Promise Star Ruby’

A beautiful 64.17 carat round cabochon, it’s also a medium deep-red. Its perfect star is sharp, centered and exceptionally well-defined. Its semi-translucency reveals a visible crystal structure. It measures 21.8mm in diameter and 12.8mm deep.

‘The Misty Star Ruby’

This is an unusual pear-shaped cabochon weighing 52.37 carats and measuring 21.2mm long x 17.6mm wide x 13.4mm deep. It is also a strong, rich, semi-translucent red with interesting slight color zoning in its crystal structure. Its star also exhibits exceptionally perfect asterism.

and ‘The Smokey Mountain Two Star Ruby’

This amazing 86.56-carat gem exhibits sharp, centered and well-defined perfect stars on both its top and bottom. It has a strong, medium dark-red, semi-translucent color with a visible crystal structure. This round cabochon measures 21.5mm in diameter and 18.8mm in depth

Star rubies are the rarest rubies, according to Guernsey’s, and they are among the most valuable types of colored gemstones in the world – rarer and more valuable than diamonds of comparable size.

Other famous star rubies include the “Rosser Reeves Star Ruby” at 138.7 carats – now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the “De Long Star Ruby” at 100 carats – now on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

After unsuccessfully trying to sell the Mountain Star Ruby Collection for $100 million on their own for the past 10 years, the family recently contacted Guernsey’s, known for unusual sales including possessions of John F. Kennedy, Elvis, Rosa Parks and more.

The auction house is currently marketing the collection for a privately negotiated sale before the official auction, which has not yet been scheduled as of April 6th.

If you would like to submit an offer for the collection, you can contact Guernsey’s at 212-794-2280

The North Carolina Zoo Society and its volunteer support organization, the Randolph Friends of the Zoo (RFOZ), are pleased to announce the awarding of grants totaling $11,885 to seven North Carolina Zoo employee initiatives. These grants, which are awarded annually, fund employee-directed programs that support the Zoo’s missions and directly improve the North Carolina Zoo’s park, animals, or guest experiences. Grant opportunities are limited to North Carolina Zoo and NC Zoo Society employees. 

This year, 10 employees submitted grants for consideration by the RFOZ Board of Directors. The following list recognizes the employees and programs that funded this grant cycle after careful review.  

Zookeeper Beth Malott was awarded $2,500 to provide an outdoor heat source for the holding area for the Zoo’s chimpanzees.  

Kathy Osborne, the Kidzone Coordinator, received $1,000 to purchase new furniture and shade sails for the Kidzone Mud Café.  

Sally Adams, Rocky Coast Zookeeper Supervisor, earned $1,185 to use in acquiring her “Applied  Animal Behavior Certification” through the University of Washington.  

Melissa Vindigni, Rocky Coast Zookeeper, was awarded $200 to conduct a Horned Puffin  Vocalization Study.  

John Ledbetter, Horticulture Supervisor, received $1,500 to install a living/green wall at the  Akiba Market underpass.  

Nicole Petersen, Community Education Supervisor, was granted $1,500 to purchase tools for educational programming and Citizen Science opportunities.  

Stephanie Tien, Forest Glade Supervisor, received $4,000 to purchase Blood Pressure Testing equipment for the gorillas. 

The Randolph Friends of the Zoo and the Zoo Society established the “Employee Grants Fund”  in 2000. Contributions from the Zoo Society’s loyal patrons provide the funding for this initiative. RFOZ is a volunteer organization that supports the fundraising efforts of the North  Carolina Zoo Society and the Randolph Friends of the Zoo Grant Fund.