It is a lean year for polar bear cubs, only two born and surviving in zoos worldwide. Welcome to one little boy in Novosibirsk Russia, and to another little boy in Akita Japan.
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| Momo's cub - photo from Oga Aquarium, Akita Japan |
Momo and Gota became parents on December 4 in Oga Aquarium in Japan, to twins. One passed away in the first days, but the second twin was a strong little boy and survived. Just announced, his name is Momota, a combination of his parents' names.
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| Gerda's boy - photo by Novosibirsk News |
Gerda and Kai's cub, born on December 7 in the Novosibirsk Zoo in Siberia, remained a secret for many months, although many suspected because there was "police tape" around Gerda's enclosure to keep things calm and quiet. The cub is another boy. His name has not been announced just yet.
Fewer cubs worldwide in zoos this year
No cubs were born in the USA this year, and also none in European zoos. Last year, eight zoo cubs were born worldwide, including three in Japan, and one in Europe. None in the USA for the past three seasons, not since Crystal had her twins Kallik and Kallu in Toledo in 2022.
The chart below was posted in the Gelsenkirchen Zoo in Germany ten years ago, to show just how many cubs are usually born, and how many survive. The white blocks are those surviving, and the black blocks are those who are born but did not live. In general, in zoos and in the wild, the survival rate of cubs is about 50 percent, for they are born so unfinished, something that seems to be necessary for life in the Arctic. Only the most robust survive.
The zoo population of polar bears is coordinated and regulated carefully, to ensure that cubs born will have a zoo to go to when they grow up.
For the past few years, the European coordinators have moved many bears to just boys or just girls groups, so that we won't have more cubs than we can handle. Only a few breeding couples are approved.
Last year, there were eight cubs born in zoos worldwide.
Only one cub was born and survived in Europe, that of Nuka and Kap in Karlsruhe. It was twins, but only one lived and that would be Mika, a boy. And none in Europe this year.
Last year, in addition to Mika born in Karlsruhe, there was one girl cub (Nur) born in Sao Paulo Brazil, twin boys (Jorek and Ootek) born in Sosto Hungary, a girl cub named Parma born in Perm Russia, and three born in Japan. The Japanese cubs last year are a boy Rai, and Paula's twins Sora and Umi, a boy and a girl.
While Europe is carefully controlling its population, the USA zoos are in a drought for cubs. For various reasons, the few fertile females we have are not giving birth. Belgium born Crystal in Toledo, who has produced so many of our current younger generation, is now too old to be expected to make any more babies. Two of her daughters, Suka in Detroit and Aurora in Columbus, have had cubs and very likely will again.
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| Gerda's cub - photo by Novosibirsk News |
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| Momo and Gota's cub - Photo by Hasumi Nobuo |
Momota in Japan - his family tree
Momo and Gota's club was born in Oga Aquarium in northern Japan on December 4.
Mother Momo (Peach) was born in Osaka in 2014 to beloved bears Baffin and Gogo, both of whom have just passed away in recent months.
Some American bears are cousins of Baffin, having descended from Baffin's sister Chinook. Baffin was born in Sweden in 1991 to American born mother CW, and father Imarec. CW, born in Memphis, was daughter of Bruno, who was also father of Chinook of Hogle Zoo. Chinook was mother of Rochester Aurora, Denali of Japan, Berlin's mate Bubba, Buffalo/ Cincinnati/Detroit Anana, and twins Kiska and Koluk of ABQ Biopark. The next generation includes Luna, Lee, NC Anana, Haley and Anoki.
Many European bears are also related to Momota, bears descended from CW, including CW's granddaughter Freedom and all her cubs, CW's daughter Ilka of Skandinavisk Dyrepark and her cubs, and CW's son Manasse of Finland, father of Ranzo of Vienna and Sisu of YWP.
Gogo was a most beloved bear, famed for his silly antics and big personality. It was especially tragic that he died under anesthetic for transport, so he could breed yet again. Gogo was born in Perm in 2004, to Anderma and Yukon. His brother Permjak was the father of Pim, who is the father of Nur in Sao Paolo last year, and also Milka, the mother of Parma in Perm Zoo last year.
In addition to Momo, Gogo was also the father of two children in Japan with Shilka: daughter Hochan in 2020 and son Rai last year.
Momoto's grandparents Gogo died February 8, 2026 and Baffin died on March 20, 2026.
Baby Momota's father Gota was born in 2003 in Moscow to Murma and Untai. In 2020 he became father of Fubuki with the mother being Yuki.
Gota is brother of the famous Raspi, who is now in Hamburg. Raspi is the father of the late Hope, and also Flocke's triplets Indie, Yuma and Tala, now in UK wildlife parks. Gota's brother Kap, father of Anouk of Hamburg and Mika of Karlsruhe, recently died. Gota is also brother of Boris (Ivan) of Copenhagen and Skandinavisk Dyrepark, where he is the father of Nuna's twins.
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| Gerda and her cub - photo by Sergie Iltyakov |
Gerda's cub - family tree
Gerda and Kai's cub, born in Novosibirsk Zoo, is their seventh cub, after Shilka (in Japan), Rostik (somewhere in China), twins Shauna and Nordi, and twins Belka and Strelka. Shauna has moved to Izhversk Zoo in Russia. Belka, Strelka and Nordi are still in Novosibirsk.
Gerda was born in Moscow in 2007 to Simona and Wrangel.
She is the granddaughter of the famous Uslada and Menshikov, who produced 16 cubs altogether. Uslada's daughter Simona, who is still alive, produced 13 cubs. With so many polar bears related to Gerda and Kai, their genes are well represented both in Russia and in Europe, and while we are happy about a new cub, his bloodline does not add much to the gene pool. It is a shame that we cannot bring some of these polar bears to US zoos, where we could use such genes.
Father Kai (Krassin) was born in St. Petersburg in 2007 to Uslada and Menshikov. So Kai is Gerda's uncle.
When the cub's name is announced, we will add it to this story.
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| Gerda and her cub - photo by Arkady Laptenko |
Thank you to the photographers whose photos I have borrowed for this story. I wish I could be there myself.
