152:) with an elephant that one of the founders had won and a few other donated animals. ADF&G found ways to stall sending Binky outside of Alaska. While waiting to find a "sponsor" to fund an enclosure for Binky at the Alaska Children's Zoo, ADF&G employees came up with the idea of flying Binky to a number of the inland North Slope villages. School was let out in these villages so that the children could come to the airstrips to see Binky. These visits received major news coverage. Finally things fell into place, and ADF&G allowed Binky to move to the Alaska Children's Zoo (later the
27:
244:
on July 14, a week after her symptoms began. Shortly thereafter, Binky showed signs of the disease. On the morning of July 20, he went into convulsions and died. Zoo visitors left bouquets of flowers outside the bears' empty enclosure, and the zoo's memorial service saw a high turnout despite pouring
202:
On July 29, 1994, 29-year-old
Australian tourist Kathryn Warburton jumped over two safety rails to get a close-up photograph of Binky in his enclosure. When Binky stuck his head through the bars and grabbed her, she suffered a broken leg and bite wounds. Another tourist caught the event on tape.
193:
As a full-grown bear, Binky weighed 1,200 pounds. He was an aggressive bear; in 1980, he bit off a zoo employee's finger. His keeper commented in 1983, "Binky is stubborn independent, and he likes to play games. When he's really feeling obstinate, he walks halfway into his den and sits down. He
127:
Time was needed to find a sponsor to fund an enclosure for Binky at the Alaska
Children's Zoo. Alaska Fish and Game employees came up with the idea of flying Binky to a number of the inland North Slope villages. Schools were let out in these villages so that the local children could come to the
182:. As the transfer was being finalized, however, Mimi died from a viral disease in Tulsa. In February 1979, young polar bear twins (Nuka, a female, and Siku, a male) joined Binky in his enclosure. Binky got along poorly with Siku, however, so Siku was given to a zoo in
167:. A fundraiser and open house were held to raise money for the effort, and a number of schools and businesses participated. Ultimately, the greatest contribution to the zoo's effort was the city's purchase of the zoo land for $ 100,000, which the zoo agreed to
209:
photographer Rob Layman took a photo of Binky holding the shoe in his mouth, an image which was printed in almost every press account of the incident. Warburton gave the other shoe to the Bird House, a bar in nearby Bird Creek that burned down in 1996.
221:
After these attacks, Binky received international news coverage. Binky merchandise was created, including T-shirts, mugs, and bumper stickers, often adorned with the shoe photo or with the slogan "Send another tourist, this one got away". Local
128:
airstrip to see Binky. These events received major news coverage. The
Anchorage Zoo was eventually able to take Binky, who quickly became one of its most popular attractions, as well as a local hero. Binky died in 1995 from
233:, saying "he violated the rules and jeopardized the bear's life." Though Seawell initially insisted that the attack would not change how the zoo was run, security around Binky's cage was upgraded to keep zoo visitors out.
156:) in Anchorage, where he quickly became one of the zoo's most popular attractions. His keeper commented in 1976 that Binky was a performer and cried in the evenings when his applauding, laughing visitors left for the day.
213:
Six weeks later, on
September 11, Binky was involved in another mauling. Drunken local teenagers approached the bear's enclosure, apparently hoping to swim in his pool, and one 19-year-old was hospitalized with leg
226:
supported Binky during both incidents, most often arguing that the inherently dangerous nature of polar bears should be respected. The zoo's director, Sammye
Seawell, criticized Warburton's actions in the
144:(ADF&G) was contacted and began arrangements to find a zoo in the United States outside of Alaska to take Binky. Word eventually got around that a polar bear cub had been found, and communities near
140:
Binky was found orphaned near Cape
Beaufort, on Alaska's North Slope, in late April 1975 by an oilfield worker. Efforts were made to locate his mother to no avail. By early May 1975, the
120:, and was found in Northwest Alaska by David Bergsrud. Alaska Fish and Game was contacted shortly after Binky's discovery, and arrangements were made to find a zoo in the
977:
163: (equivalent to $ 849,350 in 2023) needed for a new, larger enclosure was uncertain, and zoo officials feared Binky would have to be sent to the
1092:
124:. Anchorage had a small zoo at the time, with an elephant that local grocer Jack Snyder had won in a contest and a few other donated animals.
159:
Binky was initially placed in a 13-by-20-foot (4.0 by 6.1 m) oval cage, which he quickly outgrew. The prospect of raising the estimated
725:
148:
as well as people in
Anchorage petitioned ADF&G to let Binky stay in Alaska. Anchorage had a small zoo at the time (now known as the
218:
after he was mauled. The zoo did not confirm that Binky was the attacker, but the bear had blood on his face following the incident.
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As Binky approached sexual maturity, zoo officials negotiated for the purchase of a female polar bear named Mimi from the
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Binky kept the woman's shoe for three days before it could be retrieved by zoo officials, and the day after the attack,
1082:
141:
109:. In separate incidents in 1994, Binky mauled two zoo visitors; these events received international news coverage.
1097:
877:
987:
832:
Enge, Marilee (August 2, 1994). "Binky's victim blames herself: 'It was the dumbest thing I've ever done'".
681:
Partnow, Patricia H. (Winter 1999). "Ursine urges and urban ungulates: Anchorage asserts its
Alaskanness".
1072:
1067:
735:
264:
121:
1025:
Phillips, Natalie (October 8, 1996). "Jackie the brown bear, ailing with cancer, is euthanized".
707:
Komarnitsky, S.J (July 30, 1994). "Zoo's polar bear mauls tourist who climbed over two fences".
524:
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1077:
817:
223:
617:
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962:
945:
928:
911:
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Badger, T.A. (September 29, 1994). "When it's bear vs. tourist, Alaskans prefer the bear".
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66:
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Jones, Stan (July 28, 1995). "Bears' death traced to sarcocystis, a rare parasite".
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683:
658:
171:
in 55 annual installments of $ 2,500. Binky's new enclosure opened in May 1977.
1008:
Sullivan, Patty (December 20, 1997). "Zoo to hold open service for
Annabelle".
236:
In 1995, Binky's cagemate Nuka suddenly became sick with the parasitic disease
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42:
26:
926:
Jones, Stan (July 18, 1995). "Zoo bear's death mystifies officials".
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168:
82:
887:
179:
519:
Anchorage: From Its Humble
Origins as a Railroad Construction Camp
183:
37:
187:
86:
757:
Warburton, Kathryn (August 22, 1994). "Letter to the Editor".
597:"Spanish comes in mighty handy for moving bears, making tacos"
943:
Jones, Stan (July 22, 1995). "Which bug killed zoo bears?".
389:"Meet Binky the polar bear at Alaska Children's Zoo"
395:. May 26, 1976. Visitor's Guide Summer 1976 insert.
516:
726:"Former publisher recalls the Star's early years"
288:Jones, Stan (July 21, 1995). "Binky fans mourn".
197:
194:knows I can't close it. He's a very smart bear."
1059:
676:
674:
672:
670:
668:
1045:Animal Planet video report on the first mauling
514:
878:"A killer bear - and the state that loved him"
665:
346:"Binky the polar bear faces uncertain future"
490:
488:
245:rain. The bears were buried on zoo grounds.
706:
410:
339:
337:
335:
333:
331:
619:Some Bears Kill: True-Life Tales of Terror
97:(1975 – July 20, 1995) was a captive male
25:
1051:Associated Press footage of first mauling
1001:
919:
871:
869:
847:
845:
805:
776:"Bird House Tavern, Risen from the Ashes"
756:
508:
485:
1047:, including footage of the attack itself
1024:
1007:
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573:
328:
1093:Individual animals in the United States
724:Breese, Darrell L. (January 14, 2010).
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283:
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795:"Metro news: mauled teen recovering".
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31:Binky with tourist's shoe in his mouth
16:Polar bear who lived at the Alaska Zoo
978:"Some Alaska Zoo animals getting old"
959:
953:
942:
925:
875:
773:
691:
553:McCoy, Kathleen (December 29, 1983).
552:
411:Nightingale, Suzan (August 5, 1976).
343:
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541:
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399:
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13:
986:. December 3, 2000. Archived from
821:. September 13, 1994. pp. 3A.
496:"Prolonged bachelorhood for Binky"
142:Alaska Department of Fish and Game
116:, close to the Chukchi Sea in the
14:
1119:
1038:
413:"Work to start on home for Binky"
574:Stephens, Jodi (April 4, 1981).
481:. September 19, 1977. p. 1.
306:"Alaska Zoo History and Mission"
112:He was originally orphaned near
876:Hames, Elizabeth (April 2013).
813:"Zoo bear suspected in mauling"
767:
750:
609:
504:. December 16, 1977. p. 2.
473:"Southern belle for Binky bear"
366:"Zoo to open for Binky's party"
344:Jones, Sally W. (May 7, 1976).
595:Barcus, Gwen (July 12, 1981).
198:Maulings, celebrity, and death
1:
774:Epler, Patti (May 25, 2011).
622:. Safari Press. p. 198.
270:
135:
1088:History of Anchorage, Alaska
7:
523:. Epicenter Press. p.
433:"Binky's bash nets $ 2,500"
248:
10:
1124:
1108:Deaths due to bear attacks
555:"He's got a bear of a job"
461:. May 26, 1977. p. 1.
441:. May 27, 1976. p. 2.
374:. May 13, 1976. p. 2.
1083:Deaths from liver failure
651:"Binky and Nuka memorial"
576:"Go on safari to the zoo"
72:
56:
48:
36:
24:
515:Elizabeth Tower (1999).
265:List of individual bears
240:, dying from associated
122:contiguous United States
132:, a parasitic disease.
1098:Individual polar bears
661:on September 27, 2006.
616:Kanuit, Larry (2007).
818:Eugene Register-Guard
801:. September 16, 1994.
224:letters to the editor
1028:Anchorage Daily News
1011:Anchorage Daily News
963:Anchorage Daily News
946:Anchorage Daily News
929:Anchorage Daily News
912:Anchorage Daily News
909:"Cheers and jeers".
835:Anchorage Daily News
798:Anchorage Daily News
781:Alaska Dispatch News
760:Anchorage Daily News
710:Anchorage Daily News
602:Anchorage Daily News
581:Anchorage Daily News
560:Anchorage Daily News
501:Anchorage Daily News
478:Anchorage Daily News
458:Anchorage Daily News
438:Anchorage Daily News
418:Anchorage Daily News
393:Anchorage Daily News
371:Anchorage Daily News
351:Anchorage Daily News
291:Anchorage Daily News
230:Anchorage Daily News
915:. October 27, 1994.
738:on October 13, 2010
21:
1073:1995 animal deaths
1068:1975 animal births
118:Alaska North Slope
19:
983:Peninsula Clarion
629:978-1-57157-293-6
534:978-0-945397-80-9
101:who lived at the
92:
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80:(aged 19–20)
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886:. Archived from
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860:Associated Press
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734:. Archived from
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684:Western Folklore
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657:. Archived from
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316:on 21 April 2010
312:. Archived from
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453:"Polar delight"
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1039:External links
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1031:. p. B3.
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990:on 2016-03-03
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605:. p. F2.
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242:liver failure
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238:sarcocystosis
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165:Milwaukee Zoo
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130:sarcocystosis
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114:Cape Beaufort
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76:July 20, 1995
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63:Cape Beaufort
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39:
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28:
23:
1103:Male mammals
1078:Bear attacks
1055:
1026:
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992:. Retrieved
988:the original
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972:
961:
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944:
938:
927:
921:
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904:
892:. Retrieved
888:the original
881:
855:Miami Herald
853:
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807:
796:
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779:
769:
758:
752:
740:. Retrieved
736:the original
729:
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659:the original
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476:
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456:
447:
436:
427:
421:. p. 2.
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354:. p. 2.
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318:. Retrieved
314:the original
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192:
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139:
126:
111:
94:
93:
78:(1995-07-20)
65:on Alaska's
742:October 14,
731:Alaska Star
320:14 November
260:Bear attack
255:Bear danger
216:lacerations
206:Alaska Star
190:, in 1981.
161:US$ 150,000
67:North Slope
1062:Categories
994:2010-10-14
655:Alaska Zoo
310:Alaska Zoo
271:References
154:Alaska Zoo
150:Alaska Zoo
136:Early life
103:Alaska Zoo
99:polar bear
43:Polar bear
176:Tulsa Zoo
107:Anchorage
83:Anchorage
894:July 22,
249:See also
180:Oklahoma
169:buy back
883:Up Here
184:Morelia
38:Species
626:
531:
188:Mexico
87:Alaska
95:Binky
20:Binky
896:2015
744:2010
624:ISBN
529:ISBN
322:2018
146:Nome
73:Died
60:1975
57:Born
52:Male
525:142
178:in
105:in
49:Sex
1064::
980:.
880:.
868:^
858:.
844:^
815:.
778:.
728:.
693:^
667:^
653:.
638:^
599:.
578:.
557:.
543:^
527:.
498:.
487:^
475:.
455:.
435:.
415:.
401:^
391:.
380:^
368:.
348:.
330:^
308:.
278:^
186:,
85:,
997:.
898:.
862:.
838:.
784:.
763:.
746:.
713:.
687:.
632:.
537:.
324:.
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