Friday, December 23, 2016

Santa comes to the Cincinnati Zoo 2016

Little One and Anana are in the early stages of courtship, and did not get a visit from Santa, as it may have been distracting.

While polar bears Anana and Little One shyly try to get to know one another, the holiday season is in full swing in the rest of the zoo.

Scroll down to the end for a taste of polar bear festivities on past Christmases.

This year, 2016,  Sloth Moe is getting some grapes from Santa.


Santa asks Moe the sloth if he would like some delicious grapes.

Sea Lion Duke is getting frozen fish and eels from Santa

Santa offers some frozen treats to Duke the Sea Lion

Have a treat from Santa, Duke

Santa throws in the rest of the frozen treats for Duke to enjoy later.

Santa observes that he thinks Duke is enjoying his treats.

In the elephant enclosure, Santa raises an edible wreath for the elephants.


Santa raises the wreath

Is everything just right? Santa is checking.

Peanuts are inside the Christmas Ball

Santa greets his fans at the elephant house

Jati finds the ornament first

She very carefully positions the handcrafted ball


And then smashes it, of course. There are peanuts inside.


Jati smashes the 2016 ball

Jati, with her 2016 ornament, fends off matriarch Schottzie

Schottzie says okay, I will just eat the rest of the wreath

Santa wishes Merry Christmas to the elephants
  And in the Lion habitat, John and his family are waiting to get some meaty treats wrapped in interesting ways by the volunteer enrichment team.


Here comes the first of the presents from Santa,
created by the volunteer enrichment team.

Lots of decorated boxes, with non-toxic paint, to be filled with meat treats.

Boxes and more boxes

Here comes the Lion family

Is something special in the box for John?

Which box to attack next?
   
Willow chews on an oxtail.

Christmas presents for the Lions - video - 2016

 
 From years past - Christmas with the Polar Bears at the Cincinnati Zoo


Little One chows down on the ice treat in 2013

Little One in 2013

Santa with Berit and Little One in 2012

Berit and Little One enjoy frozen treats in 2012




Saturday, December 3, 2016

Toledo Hope is one year old!


Hope aus Toledo ist ein Jahr alt

Hope

One of only two cubs in the USA from last year, Hope is celebrating her first birthday on December 3. She lives in the Toledo Zoo with her mother Crystal. Also in the zoo, but not directly with her and her mom, are her father Marty and another female, Nan. (You might expect some news about Nan any day now.) 

Eine der zwei in den USA  geborenen Eisbären vom letzten Jahr feiert ihren Geburtstag am 3. Dezember. Sie lebt im Zoo von Toledo, gemeinsam mit ihrer Mutter Crystal. Ebenso im gleichen Zoo, aber nicht auf der gleichen Anlage wie sie und ihre Mutter wohnt ihr Vater Marty sowie eine weitere Eisbärin namens Nan. (Ihr erwartet Nachrichten über Nan demnächst). 
Hope looks up

Hope is the youngest of a successful pairing of Crystal and Marty. Her older sisters, 10 year old twins Aurora and Anana, live in the Columbus Zoo and have just had babies of their own, Aurora with two and Anana with one. Last year, Aurora gave birth to Nora, the only other USA cub of the season. Nora was raised by the keepers, and is now in the Oregon Zoo. 
Hope ist die jüngste einer erfolgreichen Paarung von Crystal und Marty. Ihre älteren Schwestern Aurora und Anana leben im Columbus Zoo, und haben ebenso Jungtiere zur Welt gebracht, Aurora zwei und Annana eins. Im letzten Jahr gebar Aurora Nora, das weitere Jungtier dieser Saison. Nora wurde von Tierpfleger groß gezogen und lebt nun im Zoo von Oregon.
Mama Crystal leads the way

Siku, who is 7 years old, has lived in the Louisville Zoo for the past five years, but just in October moved to the brand new polar bear home in the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where he will soon be joined by a lady bear, although her name is supposed to be a secret.

Siku, der nun 7 Jahre alt ist hat in den letzten 5 Jahren im Louisville Zoo gewohnt, wurde jedoch kürzlich im Oktober in die brandneue Eisbärenanlage im Lincoln Zoo in Chicago geschickt, wo er schon recht bald Gesellschaft einer Eisbärenlady bekommt, obgleich der Name noch ein Geheimnis ist.
Barrel diving, one of Hope's favorite games

Four year old twins Suka and Sakari were born in Toledo in 2012, and spent some time in the Como Zoo in St. Paul, then moved to Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin. Sakari just moved to the Buffalo Zoo, while his sister Suka remains in Wisconsin, but maybe not for long. 18 year old female Berit from the Cincinnati Zoo has joined Suka in the new polar bear home for the time being.

Die 4 Jahre alten Zwillinge Suka und Sakari kamen im Toledo Zoo zur Welt, verbrachten einige Zeit im Como Zoo in St.Paul, zogen dann um in den Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin. Sakari zog gerade um in den Buffalo Zoo während seine Schwester Suka in Wisconsin verbleibt,  jedoch vielleicht nicht mehr für lange. Die 18 Jahre alte Eisbärin Berit aus dem Cincinnati Zoo leistet Suka währenddessen auf der brandneuen Anlage etwas Gesellschaft.

Hope is one year old now

With so many of the younger bears related to Hope's family, the current flurry of polar bear relocation will help with putting together successful breeding pairs, it is hoped.

Da so viele der Jungbären zu Hopes Familie gehören ist die momentane Verwirrung groß, die Eisbärenpopulation richtig zu platzieren um erfolgreiche Zuchtpaare  wie erhofft zu erhalten.
 
Hope wrestles with the little blue ball, and it squirts her in the face

Hope's game face

Hope has the best toys
Ready to pounce, this time it is the blue barrel.

Hope is a very independent young bear at one year of age. Crystal is there when Hope wants to have a drink of milk, but most of the time, Hope is off on her own, having adventures with her wonderful big blue barrel, or her favorite toy, the spool. She loves balls too, and often plays with the small children or even adults who line up by the viewing window of her pool.

Im Alter von nur einem Jahr ist Hope eine sehr unabhängige Eisbärin. Crystal ist zugegen wenn Hope einen Schluck Milch trinken möchte, jedoch ist Hope meistens allein unterwegsund erlebt Abenteuer mit ihrer tollenn blauen Tonne, oder ihrem Lieblingsspielzeug, eine Spule. Ballspiele mag sie auch sehr, und spielt auch oft mit den kleinen Kindern sowie den Erwachsenen, die sich ans Fenster des Pools stellen.

Staredown!

Pose for the Paparazzi

Kids love watching with Hope, and Hope loves her audience too

This allows Crystal to have many lovely long naps during the day.

 Dies erlaubt Crystal viele kleine Pause einzulegen und während des Tages zu ruhen.

"Wake up, Mommy. it is time to play," says Hope to a sleeping Crystal

Hope and Crystal
Hope plays with her favorite spool in the water, or races around with it on the ice rink in the protected inner room, using it as a sled, a hockey puck, a push cart, or a juggling prop. She is very creative, and always aware of her visitors, often putting on a show with a fish or a ball, just for fun. She is a smart little girl.

Hope tollt mit ihrer geliebten Spule im Wasser, oder rennt damit herum in der Eishöhle im geschützen inneren Bereich, sie benutzt es als Schlitten, einen Hockeypuck, einen Handkarrenoder ein Jonglierobjekt. Sie ist recht kreativ und sich auch ihrer Zuschauer bewusst,m acht oft mit einem Fisch oder Ball eine Show daraus, nur zum Spass. Sie ist ein kluges Mädchen.
Rolling the spool

Practicing the ice breaking pounce

Sliding the spool on the ice 
Balancing


Pushing the spool 
Flipping the spool


Spool as pillow

Spool splash

Click on link below for video:


There is another Hope polar bear cub in France, two year old daughter of Raspoutine and the famous Flocke. So that is why I call her Toledo Hope.

Es gibt noch eine andere Eisbärin names Hope. Sie lebt in Frankreich, und ist die zwei Jahre alte Tochter von Raspoutine und der berühmten Flocke. Deshalb nenne ich sie Hope aus Toledo.
Mama Crystal with Hope
     
Hope looking a lot like brother Siku, playing with her white barrel
 


Eye to eye
 
Just hanging out