Farewell to Katjuscha

 

Katjuscha

Katjuscha

It is the end of an era. The Berlin Zoo polar bear habitat's probably final resident, 37 year old Katjuscha, has passed away. She had been suffering from a heart ailment for some time, and had been treated for it, but now, the oldest polar bear in the world had come to the end of her days. She was found by her keepers, in her den, on Christmas Eve morning, it was announced today. She had peacefully died in her sleep.

Kati, during her afternoon walk. 

She had turned 37 years old November 16, and she was given a small party with a treat.

She was known for her beauty and grace. Visitors would often see her just sitting in the doorway, watching the world go by.

Katjuscha, watching the world go by

Last year, there were two other lady polar bears in the world who had reached the age of 36: Snow Lily in Milwaukee, and Winnie in Japan, both just several weeks younger than Katjuscha. Now all three are all gone.

Kati at teatime, in 2014.

Katjuscha was born in 1984 in Zoo Karlsruhe, the daughter of Nadine and Willie. Nadine and Willie were also the parents, five years later, of Antonia, the famous dwarf polar bear. Also in 1989, Willie became the father of Nancy, one of Katjuscha's lifelong companions in the Berlin Zoo, and also Anton, father of Wilbär.

Tosca in front, Katjuscha in the middle,
 and Nancy, top, sleeping, in 2014.

 

Katjuscha came to Berlin when she was almost a year old, and remained there all her life. At one time, she was part of Lars' harem, the three ladies of the Berlin Zoo: Nancy, Tosca and Kati. The four bears made for quite a sight for Berlin Zoo visitors.

Katjuscha in 2014, the fluffy one.

Tosca and Lars' son, the famous Knut, was part of the group for a short time too, after Lars left, until  young Knut died from a brain disease which tragically caused him to fall into the water and drown.

Katjuscha watching Nancy and Tosca from her doorway.

After that sad event, it was just the three ladies of  the Berlin Zoo. Tosca and Nancy seemed to be best friends, and Katjuscha was on her own. We lost Tosca and Nancy a few years ago, but Kati continued on, well past the expected age of a polar bear.

Katjuscha in her kingdom in 2019

Now she is gone too, and the polar bear area is empty, save for the nearby memorial sculpture of Knut. 

It is truly the end of an era.

Rest in Peace, sweet lady.

Best friends in the Highlands

Arktos and Walker

Best Buddies in Scotland, that defines Team Walker and Arktos.

Arktos and Walker have quite a bromance going on

Walker and Arktos in the large habitat at HWP.

 The bears could choose to put plenty of space between them,

 but they would rather be close together.

Arktos with a bit of meat

Arktos and Walker are inseparable

 They do not like to be separated, and when Arktos went to the other side of the park to stay for a few months with Victoria last year (for breeding), Walker really missed his friend, and was so happy to have him back.

Arktos at left, and Walker at right

 That is not to say that they don't have their squabbles, but they quickly make up.

Walker and Arktos in a mini-battle at lunchtime.
 It was over in about two minutes.

Click on this link below to see a very short squabble between the best friends.

Video: click on link to see Arktos and Walker in little dispute!

When we were there at feeding time on a windy afternoon in mid May, they growled and tussled and stood up to each other, and then it was over, and they were friends again. We were told that it was because it was the end of breeding season, and they are still a little competitive, as males living together might be. Even though Victoria and baby Hamish were all the way across the park, the two male bears could still smell her. It's instinct.

Arktos and Walker at the fence during keeper talk

 Unlike some polar bears who live together but don't really interact much, Walker and Arktos seemed to be always together, even cuddling up to sleep. When one goes this way, the other one follows.

Mercedes

A little history: Highland Wildlife Park was founded in a wild national park northwest of Edinburgh in 1972 and populated with native species. As years went by, the mission changed to include northern and mountainous species. The first polar bear in Highland Wildlife Park was elderly Mercedes in 2009. At that time she was living in Edinburgh Zoo, the only polar bear in the U.K.

Her story: At the age of three, back in her native Churchill, Manitoba in Canada, Polar Bear Number 39 had been deemed a nuisance bear for raiding garbage and hanging around town. They painted the number on her, took her a great distance away, and hoped for the best, but she returned, caused trouble, and returned again. And again.

File photo of Mercedes in Canada

Under the three strikes and you're out rule, she was sentenced to be shot. However, the Mercedez-Benz company offered to pay for the transportation for this young bear, and Edinburgh Zoo offered her a home to live with their male polar bear Barney.  In 1984 she was flown to Scotland, where she lived for 25 years as the main attraction of Edinburgh Zoo. She even had two cubs. She was quite famous. Barney died after choking on a child's plastic toy thrown into the enclosure, and then she was alone.  Her hillside habitat at the Edinburgh Zoo was small, and she paced. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which oversees both Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, looked for a better solution for Mercedes. 

In 2009 Mercedes was moved to Highland Wildlife Park to enjoy her retirement years, where she had a beautiful spacious area of over four natural acres in which to roam. The Scottish Army even pitched in to help build the enclosure designed just for her. Mercedes loved the deep snow and the ice on the pond during her first winter.

The enclosure was designed to be much lower in cost to build and operate than a standard zoo habitat, taking advantage of the natural terrain, and also having much less of an environmental impact, while giving the bears a great deal more space to roam in one of the most beautiful spots on Earth.

Walker and Arktos

In 2010,  two  year old Walker arrived from the Netherlands to keep her company, but she was not anxious to play with an active young cub. Her arthritis was bothering her, so after some rocky introductions, zoo staff decided to keep the bears separate. 

In 2011, due to rapidly failing health and signs of senility, Mercedes was put to sleep at the age of 30, a good age for a polar bear to reach. And thus Walker was alone.

But not for long. Arktos, about a year older than Walker, was living in Hannover Germany with his twin brother Nanuq and another young male, Sprinter. In 2012 Arktos moved to HWP as a companion to Walker. The boys quickly became best friends and playmates.

Arktos in front, and Walker

Walker was born in Ouwehands Zoo, Rhenen, the Netherlands in December of 2008. Walker was famous from birth, for his birth (and that of his twin), was filmed and featured in the David Attenborough BBC television series, "Frozen Planet." Walker and little brother Swimmer (both named after Kimberly Clark diapers, the rescue sponsor of their mother Huggies) made their public debut in March, and tiny Swimmer captured many hearts, for he was about one third the size of his brother. About a week later, poor Swimmer died during a swimming lesson, as some inborn weakness caused something to burst. Huggies and Walker were seen grieving for hours.

Walker's father Victor, who now lives in retirement
in Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
 He is younger brother to Victoria, mother of Hamish at HWP. 

Walker, whose father was Victor (now living in Yorkshire Wildlife Park), grew into a healthy young bear, and went to live in HWP next to Mercedes, as we said, in 2010. Walker's mother Huggies had been rescued at the age of five months off the coast of Siberia, and brought to safety in Ouwehands Zoo courtesy of the diaper company.  Walker's father Victor came from the Churchill-Vienna dynasty of Rostock Germany.

Walker's mother Huggies in Ouwenhands

Arktos, living with his twin brother Nanuq in Hannover, Germany, were born a year before Walker, in 2007. Mother Olinka's father was Omaha, son of Olaf and Olga of the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Father Eric's mother was Aika of Tierpark Berlin. Arktos has inherited his Grandmother Aika's large round ears.

Aika, grandmother of Arktos.
She also had beautiful big round ears, like Arktos has.

When Victoria arrived, it was Arktos who spent spring months with her, since she is Walker's aunt, and Arktos is unrelated to Victoria. 

 

Arktos, in front, and Walker have enjoyed a wade in the muddy pool.

 How to tell Arktos from Walker? A keeper tells me that, in addition to the difference in ears, Walker has smaller eyes, and wrinkles up his nose more. 

Arktos and Walker spend their days together, sometimes swimming in their large pond, wading in the mud, foraging for the treats (often thrown into the pond for enrichment), and snuggling up for a nap. Where you see one, the other is never far away. Although polar bears are said to be solitary animals in the wild, it is beautiful to see such a friendship in the Highlands.

Arktos, left, and Walker on the rock.

 

Walker and Arktos

 

Good bye and see you next time.

Aika, a grand lady makes her exit

Aika, die große alte Dame hat Ausgang 

The great lady Aika

Aika, grandmother and great grandmother to many cubs and the oldest polar bear in the world, has come to the end of her journey. For the past few weeks, she has not wanted to go outside, but just to sleep in her bedchamber, not far from Tonja and her new cub at Tierpark Berlin.

Aika, Großmutter und Ur-Großmutter von vielen Jungtieren und die älteste Eisbärin der Welt ist am Ende ihrer Reise angelangt. Seit einigen Wochen wollte sie kaum noch auf die Anlage kommen, verbrachte lieber schlafend in ihrer Höhle, unweit von Tonja und ihrem neugeboren Jungtier im Tierpark Berlin.

Aika on her throne

Today, Aika did not wake up. She had died in her sleep. Tomorrow would have been her 36th birthday, a very old age for a polar bear.

Heute wachte Aika nicht wieder auf. Sie war im Schlaf gestorben. Morgen wäre ihr 36. Geburtstag gewesen, ein sehr hohes Alter für eine Eisbärin.

Aika in the mulch pit, a favorite soft place to rrest

I last saw her six weeks ago, as she napped in the mulch pit. She woke up, and rolled around in the mulch, played with a bucket. She really enjoyed her day, in spite of the rain and the chill in the air. 

Ich sah sie noch vor nur sechs Wochen, als sie im Mulchbett ruhte. Sie erwachte und rollte sich im Mulchbett, spielte mit einem Eimer. Sie schien ihren Tag zu genießen,unabhängig vom Regen und der kalten Luft.

Aika waits at the door

That morning, Aika wandered over to the doors, but they were closed. She spent some time on her favorite perch, a rock high enough so she could see everything. It was a throne for Queen Aika. Visitors could often see her there, watching the world go by.

An dem Morgen wanderte Aika zu den Türen, die aber geschlossen waren. Sie verbrachte einige Zeit auf ihrem beliebten Ausguck, einem Felsen,der hoch genug war und sie alles überschauen konnte. Es war wie ein Thron für Queen Aika. Besucher konnten sie häufig dort finden, die Welt betrachtend. 

Sitting on her Rock Perch, Aika was content

 Then she retreated to the mulch pit for another nap.

Dann bewegte sie sich wieder auf das Mulchbett für eine weitere Ruhepause.

Ready for another nap in the soft mulch

She was alone that morning. Wolodja took her place in the afternoon when she went inside for more sleeping. 

An diesem Morgen war sie dort allein. Wolodja nahm dann am Nachmittag ihren Platz ein, während sie in der Höhle dann weiter ruhte.

Aika

Aika was born in Katowice on November 24, 1980, and came to Berlin when she was two years old. There she gave birth to three cubs, one in 1986, one in 1990, and Eric was born in 1993. It is through Eric than Aika's bloodline lives on in many cubs. Eric, who died in 2015, was father to 10 cubs, including Lloyd who has fathered Lale and Lili, and Felix who has fathered Milak (now in Canada), Flocke (now in France), Gregor and Aleut (now in Poland) and Charlotte, still in Nuremburg, as well as the late Augo (Denmark).  So Aika's legacy lives on.

Aika war in Katowice geboren, am 24. November 1980 und kam nach Berlin als sie zwei Jahre alt war. Sie brachte drei Jungtiere zur Welt- in 1986,in 1990 und Eric wurde 1993 geboren. Durch Eric, anstammend von Aikas Genen wurden diese an viele Jungtiere weiter gegeben. Eric, der in 2015 verstarb war der Vater von 10 Jungtieren, so auch Llyod, der Lale und Lili zeugte, und Felix, der Milak zeugte (Sie lebt mittlerweile in Kanada), Flocke (jetzt in Frankreich), Gregor und Aleut (nun in Polen), und auch Charlotte, die noch in Nürnberg lebt; sowie die verstorbene Augo in Dänemark. Aikas Vermächnis lebt weiter.

Tonja, Aika (center) and Wolodja were a happy family

Aika was also like a mother to Tonja, who arrived at Tierpark at the age of 2 from Moscow. Having a young bear to play with gave Aika a new energy, and she played again, to keep Tonja entertained. Later, when young Wolodja arrived, she was welcoming to him as well, and the three of them were like a family.

Aika war fast wie eine Mutter zu Tonja, die aus Moskau dann in den Tierpark kam als sie zwei Jahre alt war. EinJungtier zum Spielen zu haben brachte Aika viel neue Energie,sie begann wieder mit Tonja zu spielen. Später, als dann dann der junge Wolodja hinzu kam begrüßte sie auch ihn sehr freudlich und die drei waren wie eine Familie zusammen.

Aika going for some carrots

Breadsticks for Aika

So it is in Tierpark Berlin, that life goes on. We say farewell to Aika, but look forward to watching Tonja's cub grow up.

So ist es nun im Tierpark Berlin, das Leben geht weiter. Wir verabschieden uns von Aika, jedoch freuen uns Tonjas Nachwuchs aufwachsen zu sehen. 

Aika

     

Farewell, Aika

Baby Polar Bear news - Updated!

Baby Eisbären NEWS

Tonja

Just when we needed some good news, we heard that young Tonja and her companion Wolodja were parents of twin baby cubbies on November 3 at Tierpark Berlin. These are the first polar bear cubs born at the zoo in 22 years. Sadly, one has died during the first week. The good news is that the surviving one seems strong. No one is allowed to make any noise around the den. No equipment can run, and there are security guards to make sure it is quiet for the mother and baby.

Gerade weil wir gute Nachrichten brauchen kommt uns zu Ohren dass die junge Tonja und ihr Partner Wolodja Eltern von Zwillingsjungtieren geworden sind, am 3. November im Tierpark Berlin. Dies sind die ersten Jungtiere die im Tierpark geboren wurden nach 22 Jahren. Traurig zu vermelden, dass eines der Jungtiere in der letzten Woche verstorben ist. Gute Nachricht ist dass das verbleibende Jungtier sehr kräftig ist. Niemand darf irgendwechen Lärm im Bereich der Geburtshöhle machen. Es läuft keinerlei Maschinengeräusch und die Sicherheitskräfte sorgen für Ruhe, damit es Mutter und Kind weiterhin gut gehen kann.

Wolodja

Tonja and Wolodja are very young to be polar bear parents. Tonja is almost seven years old and Wolodja is almost five, so very young.

Tonja und Wolodja sind sehr junge Eltern. Tonja ist fast 7, Wolodja erst knapp 5 Jahre alt, sehr junge Eltern. 

Aika, Wolodja and Tonja in Tierpark Berlin

Both came from Moscow. Tonja was born November 14, 2009, to Simona and Vrangel and came to Tierpark Berlin when she was about two years old. The "Little Mouse" quickly bonded with old lady Aika, and they became very good friends and playmates.


Beide Eisbären stammen aus Mokau. Tonja kam am 14. November 2009 zur Welt, Simona und Vrangel waren ihre Eltern, und sie zog um in den Tierpark Berlin als sie knapp zwei Jahre war.Die *kleine Maus* freundete sich schnell mit der alte Dame Aika an und sie waren schnell die besten Freunde.

Wolodja

Wolodja was born November 27, 2011 in Moscow to Murma and Untai and came to Berlin in August of 2013.

Wolodja wurde am 27.  November 2011 geboren, seine Eltern waren Murma und Untai - er kam in den Tierpark Berlin im August 2013.

Tonja

The polar bear world was rocked on November 3 when we heard of the death of Vilma, who had just moved from Rostock to Aalborg two weeks before. Such sad news was softened with the word that Tonja had given birth to twins.

Die Eisbärenwelt war erschüttet zu erfahren dass am 3. November Vilma tot aufgefunden wurde.  Sie war vor nur zwei Wochen von Rostock nach Aalborg umgezogen. So eine traurige Meldung wurde dann etwas gemildert von der Nachricht, dass Tonja Zwillinge geboren hatte.

Tonja

Polar bear babies have difficult odds, especially when the parents are so young. The survival rate, both in the wild and in zoos, is about 50 percent. But we are all rooting for Tonja's remaining baby, and it looks strong and healthy.

Eisbären Babies sind sehr fragile Geschöpfe, besonders wenn die Mutter noch so jung und unerfahren ist. Die Überlebensrate, sowohl in der Wildnis als auch in den Zoos geboren sind ca.50 %. Aber alle Hoffnung ruht nun auf dem überlebenden Jungtier von Tonja, es scheint gesund und recht stark zu sein.

Wolodja

Tonja has been plagued for a long time with a black stain on her neck, maybe from rubbing on rocks. The keepers were reluctant to treat her for it, for they hoped that she would be pregnant. And now those hopes have come true.

Tonja wird von einem dunklen Fleck im Fellnacken schon seit längerem geplagt, vielleicht vom Scheuern auf den Felsen. Die Tierpfleger wollten sie aber deswegen nicht behelligen, da man der Hoffnung auf eine Schwangerschaft war. Und diese Hoffnung wurde nun Wahrheit.

Tonja. She is known by the black marks on her neck

Tonja is the sister of Raspi in Marineland, Antibes France, and of Boris and Kap as well.

Tonja ist die Schwester von Raspi, Antibes Marineland in Frankreich, sowie von Boris und Kap.

Wolodja

Wolodja is the brother of Vera, mother to Flocke, Gregor, Aleut and Charlotte.

Wolodja ist der Bruder von Vera-die Mutter von Flocke, Gregor, Aleut und Charlotte.

Tonja and her good friend Aika in Tierpark Berlin

Now at Tierpark Berlin live four bears: Wolodja and Tonja, the baby, and Grandmother Aika. It will be very crowded in the spring.

Nun leben im Tierpark Berlin fier Eisbären: Wolodja und Tonja, das Eisbärbaby, und Großmutter Aika. Im Frühling wird es dann recht überfüllt werden im Tierpark von Berlin.

Anana, Nanuq and Aurora of the Columbus Zoo

There is more good news in the USA. Last year, Aurora of the Columbus Zoo gave birth the Nora, who now lives in Portland. This year, on November 8, Aurora's sister Anana gave birth to twins, with the same father as Nora, Nanuq. Everyone is hoping these twins continue to do well. Aurora is taking good care of them

Es gibt noch mehr gute  NEWS aus den USA. Im letzten Jahr brachte Aurora aus dem Columbus Zoo Nora zur Welt, die nun in Portland lebt. In diesem Jahr, am 8.November Auroras Schwester Anana wurde Mutter mit Zwillingen, dem gleichen Vater wie Nora -Nanuq. Alle hoffen sehr, dass die Zwillinge es schaffen, Anana bemüht sich sehr um alle beide.

Daddy Nanuq was born in the Wilds of Alaska in 1987,
 which makes him 29 years old. 

Nanuq, 29, is also the father of Luna of the Buffalo Zoo, with a different Anana as mother.

Nanuq, 29, ist auch der Vater von Luna im Buffalo Zoo - mit einer anderen Anana als Mutter.

Nanuq, Aurora and Anana

Aurora and new mother Anana of the Columbus Zoo are the daughters of Crystal and Marty of the Toledo Zoo. 

Aurora und die neue Mutter Anana vom Columbus Zoo sind die Töchter von Crystal und MARTY vom Toledo Zoo.

Anana - the new mom

Update on November 15: One of Anana's cubs died on Sunday, November 13, but the other is doing well. Anana's sister Aurora gave birth to twins on Monday, November 14, and they are doing well so far.

Update vom 15. November: Eines der Jungtiere von Anana ist am Sonntag den 13. November gestorben, dem anderen Jungtier geht es weiterhin gut. Anana's Schwester Aurora hat am Montag, 14. November Zwillinge geboren, und so weit geht es beiden gut.

Thanks to Marga Andresen Gransow for the German translation