North Carolina has a new resident that weighs more than 1,000 pounds.
His name is Payton. He is a polar bear.
Payton was welcomed to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro on Friday and the hope is that he’ll meet – and make babies with – the zoo’s female polar bear, Anana.
Breeding season for polar bears is typically February through April, the zoo says. Payton will be introduced to Anana probably around the second week of February, right around Valentine’s Day, after he receives a clean bill of health.
The zoo’s last male polar bear, Nikita, did not have a cub with Anana after five breading seasons. He is being moved to a zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to a news release from the North Carolina Zoo.