Public Media from Michigan State University

MSU raising money to restore iconic polar bear

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Kevin Lavery/WKAR

For decades, first time visitors to the Natural Resources building on the MSU campus have been startled by the guard keeping watch by the north doors. Standing nine feet tall and weighing 300 pounds, a huge polar bear stands frozen in time, in a menacing pose. Polar bears have been on the Endangered Species list since 2008, and though long dead, the MSU bear is once again in danger. The bear was killed in Barrow, Alaska in 1957. It’s showing some wear and needs to be repaired soon.Current State’s Kevin Lavery speaks with Dr. Scott Winterstein, chair of the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Darin McCollough, a graduate student in the department.

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Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.