| According to various news sources, Pelusa, a female polar bear at the Mendoza Zoo in Argentina, turned purple after being treated with Gentian Violet for a skin infection. |
Gentian Violet is an antifungal medication commonly used to treat thrush and yeast infections. It's also the dye used in fingerprinting. |
|
| The bear is being kept in an isolation cage for treatment. The coloring will wash off when she is released and begins swimming again. |
7-23-03
!! NEWSFLASH !!
From the AP - 2/24/04
Polar bears have clear hair shafts which appear white because they reflect light. Sheba's coat was successfully bleached with hydrogen peroxide 2 1/2 weeks ago and Inuka will be given a similar treatment in 3 weeks, giving the zoo time to observe Sheba's reaction to the treatment. For now, Inuka remains mottled with bright grass-colored splotches behind his ears, on his back and on his legs. Three polar bears at the San Diego Zoo developed similarly green coats in 1979 but were cured with a salt solution, according to the Web site of Polar Bears International.
The coats of two bears at the Singapore Zoo have turned green due to a harmless algae growing in the hollow hair shafts,
a result of Singapore's warm and humid climate.