Climate change is disrupting the delicate balance of life in the Arctic. To help Toronto Zoo guests better understand how rising temperatures and shrinking sea ice affect Arctic animals, the Zoo launched a unique augmented- and virtual-reality (AR/VR) experience called “On Thin Ice” in February of 2022. "On Thin Ice" was funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy.

By downloading this free app (available on the Apple App Store or through Google Play) onto their own devices, Zoo guests can get up close and personal with life-sized AR Arctic animals and learn about their amazing adaptations and the challenges they face due to climate change. The VR game lets guests be a polar bear, trying to catch seals on the sea ice and gain enough weight to survive the summer.

At each stop, guests can make a climate action pledge to protect polar bears and other Arctic animals. We hope that by focusing on climate solutions, we can help people move from feeling helpless about climate change to feeling hopeful.