Three polar bears at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya are no longer white after swimming in a pond this summer with an overgrowth of algae.
The sight of green polar bears has prompted many questions from visitors concerned about whether the animals are sick or carrying mold, zoo official Masami Kurobe said. "Visitors seem to be shocked by the color, and we are asked every day why they are so green," he said.
The bears are expected to return to their natural color when the algae growth subsides in November, Kurobe said.