MSU polar bear, patched-up and cleaned, returns

EAST LANSING – The polar bear that stands watch at Michigan State University's Natural Resources Building, known by some as "Beary White," has returned to his post after his first major restoration in nearly 50 years.

The 9-foot tall bear was reinstalled this morning after nearly three months of patchwork in Marlette in Michigan's thumb. The work entailed a power washing of the bear's fur, replacement of hand and foot pads and claws, and a new mouth and jaw.

He was mounted on a new base covered in artificial snow with caribou antlers at his feet. The Spartan logo is on all four corners of the wooden base.

"We were targeting the start of the semester and here he is," said Gary Roloff of MSU's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. "He's got a long history in our department."

Damaged hair in the bear's front area was replaced with good hair from underneath his arms, said Dennis Harris of Artistry of Wildlife, who did the repair work. The underarm hair was replaced with mountain goat hair, Harris said. The bear's paws had been picked off and the claws stolen.

Harris said the repairs will last 50 to 100 years.

"It was in good condition because the original mount was done really well, so the aging process on it wasn't as bad as it could have been. This was a good save," he said during Tuesday's installation. "This mount's going to last until everyone in this room's dead, trust me."

An Oct. 21, 1960, section of the Seattle Times was found stuffed in the bear's head, suggesting the bear underwent taxidermy within a few days of that date in Washington, Harris said.

He said newspaper was most likely used to keep materials from falling out while installing the bear's jaw. The bear was between 10 and 12 years old when he was killed, Harris said.

A crowdfunding effort among MSU faculty, students and alumni, raised about $8,500 for the effort. The money was raised in four weeks between March and April through an MSU online campaign. Money also came through direct donations and sales of T-shirts that read, "Save Our Spartan Bear."

Money leftover from the restoration will go toward a flat-screen TV that will loop footage of the repairs and talk about the history of the animal. MSU staff hope to mount the TV screen in the next six months.

A ceremony commemorating the polar bear's return will soon be announced, said Scott Winterstein, chair of MSU's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

The bear was shot by an Oak Park man near Point Barrow, Alaska, in 1957 and later donated to the MSU Museum. It was moved to the Natural Resources Building lobby in 1966, the year the building opened.

Contact Christopher Behnan at (517) 377-1261 or cbehnan@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @LansingCB.