Grizzly Bears and Trash Bins

Anchorage Solid Waste Services is trying to design garbage bins that are more bear-resistant than previous bins. How are they doing? To find out, the agency took their latest design to the nearby Alaska Zoo. The bins were placed in the grizzly bear enclosure, and the bears thought these were wonderful new enrichment toys. Mind you, these bears are well-fed and not desperate to get into the bins. They're just having fun.  

But then I thought, Why does a zoo in Alaska have bears? Doesn't Alaska have plenty of bears? Well, it turns out that the Alaska Zoo, the only zoo in Alaska, specializes in local and arctic animals. They began as a shelter for injured and orphaned wildlife, and the zoo's origin story is really interesting. (via Born in Space)