http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26591321/

TOKYO - Green-colored polar bears are drawing questions from puzzled visitors at a Japanese zoo.

Three normally white polar bears at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in central Japan changed their color in July after swimming in a pond with an overgrowth of algae.

The sight of green polar bears has prompted many questions from visitors concerned about whether the animals are sick or carrying mold, zoo official Masami Kurobe said Sunday.

"Visitors seem to be shocked by the color, and we are asked every day why they are so green," he said.

High temperatures in July and August and less-frequent water changes because of the zoo's conservation efforts caused an algae growth in the bear pond and safety moat, Kurobe said.

Algae that enters hollow spaces in the bears' fur is hard to rinse off, he said.

The bears are expected to return to their natural color when the algae growth subsides in November, Kurobe said.

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It's not even close to St. Patrick's day

Seriously, I hope this does not end up harming the bears at all.

Green Polar Bears...smack-addicted elephants...we're all going to hell in a handbasket.

This is making me sad, and I can't even explain why