Lloyd leaves us

 

Lloyd, king of Bremerhaven

Lloyd, father of six cubs, passed away May 1 from liver disease. He was 26 years old.

Lloyd had very long legs, just like his half brother Felix.
So he stood very tall.

 Lloyd was born November 26, 2000 in Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna to Olinka and Eric. His twin sister Nika died in 2019 in Karlsruhe.

Lloyd's sister twin Nika in Karlsruhe. Lloyd later lived in Karlsruhe.

Lloyd was related to many bears in Europe, and also in Japan and in the US. His American cousins are descendants of Olaf and Olga, and include Berlin, Anoki, Lee, Haley NC Anana and Kulu.

Lloyd's mother Olinka, with her last set of twins,
 Todz and Sizzel, in Rotterdam.

His mother Olinka was the daughter of American born Omaha, son of Olaf and Olga in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.

His father Eric was son of Aika of Tierpark Berlin. Eric's brother Bjorn-Heinrich was father of Paula and Yuki in Japan. 

Olinka and Eric were parents of many others bears, Lara, twins Arktos and Nanuq, Vicks, and twins Todz and Sizzel. With a mother bear named Olga, Eric was also the father of Felix, who went on to father the famous Flocke, as well as Gregor and Aleut, and Charlotte. 

Lloyd overlooking the North Sea
in Bremerhaven am Meer in Germany.

Lloyd was born in Vienna, and moved to Bremerhaven in 2002, where he lived for most of his life with Valeska and fathered four girls. Valeska is one of the "V" cubs of Churchill and Vienna. 

Lloyd in Bremerhaven

Lloyd moved to Karlsruhe in 2022, where he lived for a short time with his niece Charlotte. In 2023 he moved to Budapest, and then in 2024 to Sosto, where he fathered twin boys Jorek and Ootek with Simona's daughter Sneschana. 

Lloyd's cubs Jorek and Ootek in Sosto Zoo (not my photo)

Lloyd's daughter Lale is now in Emmen in the Netherlands.

Lale and mother Valeska in 2014 in Bremerhaven.

Lili is in Rostock Germany. 

Lili and mother Valeska in Bremerhaven in 2016.

Anna and Elsa, named for the ice princess sisters in "Frozen," are in  Zoo Brno in the Czech Republic. I have not visited them. 

Although they were born several years apart,
 for a time sisters Lale and Lili lived together
 in the zoo in Emmen in the Netherlands.

When Lloyd lived in Bremerhaven, he had a vast terrain in this tiny zoo on the North Sea. He could look out the windows at the wild sea beyond. 

A window on the North Sea, watching the ships come and go.

When Valeska had cubs to take care of, the zoo would keep Lloyd behind the scenes all day, and only let him out in the late afternoon, after mother and children were put away for the day.

Lloyd inspecting his domain in Bremerhaven.

At 26, he was the oldest male bear in Europe, but it is still too young to lose such a magnificent polar bear as was Lloyd.  

Lloyd was curious and bright. 

Peeking out

Lloyd with his scepter.