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  Zoo's polar bears turning green
Updated 25 February 2004, 09.23
Polar bears in Singapore are turning green
Visitors are flocking to a zoo in Singapore to see the latest star attraction - two green polar bears.

Sheba and her 13-year-old son Inuka are supposed to have bright white fur like other polar bears, but in recent weeks have started to turn green.

Some people thought the zoo had painted them to get more visitors, but keepers have come up with an explanation.

They say tiny little plants called algae have attached themselves to the fur and that's why the bears are green.

Fact File
Polar bear facts
They are the world's largest land predator, feeding mainly on seals
They live in Arctic regions of Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway
Scientists reckon they evolved about 200,000 years ago from brown bears
Now they know why the bears look so unusual the zoo has started to sort things out.

They sprayed Sheba with a chemical that is often used to make people's hair blonde and now she is getting whiter again.

Poor old Inuka has still got some green spots on his fur, but the zoo is planning to spray him soon as well.

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