Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium in Pennsylvania, US is set to unveil a new exhibition called Water’s Edge.

The new attraction will open in three distinct phases. Polar bears will be introduced this autumn, followed by sea otters this winter and finally walruses in April 2007.

Visitors will be able to observe two polar bears roaming in a new air-conditioned den from a large viewing platform and watch them swim overhead from a 30-foot (9-metre) long underwater tunnel running through the bears’ swimming area.

An accompanying illustration featuring a man’s footprints leading into a den and a polar bear’s paw prints coming out will explain the Inuit belief that the bears are actually men who hunt and shed their fur at night.

Interactive props will include a model of a 10-foot (3-metre) high polar bear as well as a downed seaplane and fishing village in the Arctic Circle to demonstrate the negative impact of man’s actions on the environment. Details: www.pittsburghzoo.com