A WALK IN THE WOODS - University at Buffalo

shortformThe ideal beer pour | Solar research to empower outdoorsmen | Excavating 19th-century Hull HouseLuna greets her visitors at Buffalo Zoo. (Inset)Graduate student Jackie Heatwole records Luna’sbehavior as well as that of fellow cub Kali.RESEARCH NEWSUp close with Kali & LunaFor several months, Jackie Heatwole, a UB master’s student inbiological sciences, has been observing the Buffalo Zoo’s fluffy whitecubs. One morning, she stood outside the polar bear exhibit takingnotes while the cubs, named Kali and Luna, wrestled with floating toysin their swimming hole. They emerged back onto land, smudging theirbright white coats with mud, chasing each other around. As Heatwolekept watch, a school kid standing nearby made his own observation.“They’re playing tag!” he shouted.Luna is a female born at the zoo, while Kali is a male who cameto Buffalo in May after a hunter shot his mom in the Alaskan wilderness.Heatwole has been tracking their behavior to better understandpolar bear development, as well as how the two bears differ from one>>another, given their divergent histories.“Luna has really brought Kali out of his shell,” Heatwole says.“Compared to when he first came, he’s a different animal. And Lunawas raised by humans, so she has to learn how to be a bear andsocialize with bears, and Kali is helping her with that.”To have a wild bear and a zoo-born bear of the same agein the same place is a rare occurrence, says Charlotte Lindqvist,Heatwole’s adviser and assistant professor of biological sciences. SoLindqvist was thrilled when a colleague forwarded her a messagefrom zoo curator Jerry Aquilina asking if any local researchers hadstudents interested in conducting observations. “This is a very uniqueopportunity,” Lindqvist says. “It doesn’t happen very often.”ACADEMIC NEWS The average amount of debt for UB students who incur debt is$17,449, and more than half of UB students graduate without debt, accordingto U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide. The magazine rankedUB among the top 10 universities nationwide for graduating students with theleast debt. At national universities with the “most debt,” students graduatewith a debt range of $35,228 to $43,727.www.alumni.buffalo.edu UBTODAY Fall 2013 5