PORTLAND, Ore. -- Polar bears, black bears, Malayan sun bears will be featured, along with teddy bears, during the Oregon Zoo’s annual Bear Fair and Bear Awareness Week.

Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

A polar bear looks through the window at a group of zoo visitors. Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

The weeklong celebration runs May 10 through May 16 and it’s free with zoo admission.

Here’s a schedule of events:

Bear Fair launches Bear Awareness Week on Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to

4 p.m. Zoo visitors learn the "bear necessities" of life in the wild, during a day of engaging activities and fascinating keeper talks. Activities include the following:

•10:30 a.m. - Bugs for sun bears! These small bears, which usually eat real

insects, receive extra enrichment with big papier-mâché bugs full of treats.

Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

A polar bear plays with an enrichment toy at the Oregon Zoo.

•12:30 p.m. - Playtime for polar bears. Conrad, Tasul and Yugyan

participate in enrichment activities with giant papier-mâché toys.

•1 p.m. - Campsite gone wrong! Black bears attack a poorly prepared

campsite to show why campers need to practice safety in the wild, while keepers discuss methods to minimize negative encounters with bears.

Interactive stations at the zoo's black bear, sun bear and polar bear exhibits invite kids to solve a melting-ice jigsaw puzzle, discover how blubber works, learn about camping in bear country and try to catch fish from a stream.

Visitors may also meet a couple of the zoo's Arctic Ambassadors, ZooTeens who have traveled to Churchill, Manitoba (the "Polar Bear Capital of the World"), to study the effects of climate change on polar bears in the wild.

The popular Repair-A-Bear station is back once again, providing TLC for teddy bears and other stuffed buddies.

"Repair-A-Bear specializes in stuffed-animal operations, checkups, shots, chiropractic adjustments and emergency patchwork," says Krista Swan, event coordinator.

Bear Awareness Week continues May 11 through 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with public feedings, enrichment activities and captivating discussions. The Oregon Zoo supports this national observation, established by Defenders of Wildlife to educate the public about the integral role bears play in nature, as well as the importance of respecting biological diversity.

While keepers share knowledge about bears and conservation issues, the zoo's bears participate in enrichment activities:

•10:30 a.m. - Treat time for the Malayan sun bears

•11:30 a.m. - Polar bear lunchtime

•1 p.m. - Scatter feed for the black bears

All week, the Zoo Store features an array of plush bears for sale, with 10 percent of the proceeds going directly to bear conservation.

Bear Fair and Bear Awareness Week are presented with support from 97.1 Charlie FM.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free.