Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Happy Halloween from Berit and Lil One

Berit seems to love her pumpkin. Delicious!


October is the season of pumpkins at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Every Saturday and Sunday, the bears, elephants and
other animals are given their treats.I visited last Sunday, the last day of HallZOOween. Here are Berit and Lil One (Little One) enjoying their last pumkin of the season.

Oktober ist die Jahreszeit für Kürbisse im Zoo von Cincinnati. Jeden Samstag und Sonntag bekommen die Bären,Elefanten und auch andere Tiere ihre Leckereien. Ich besuchte den Zoo am Sonntag, der letzte Tag von HallZOOween. Hier sind Berit und Lil One (Little One),sie genießen ihren letzten Kürbis in dieser Saison.


They devoured their pumpkins with ghoulish delight.

Sie verspeisen ihre Kürbisse mit gruseligem Vergnügen!



The keeper gets ready to throw in another pumpkin



What is this? A pumpkin coming my way?

Where's the pumpkin?

There it is!

I'm going to get it!

Here I come!

Almost...

Got it!

Now to find a nice place to eat it
 where Lil One won't bother me.

Lick it first

Then a little bite



Yummy, says Berit. She has an injured shoulder,
being treated by the vet at the zoo. It is nothing serious.




Berit has a shoulder injury, and a sign on the enclosure said that she is being treated for it by a vet. I could not find out what had happened to her, but she does not limp, or seem to be in any pain.

Berit hat eine Schulterverletzung,und ein Hinweis am Gehege besagt, dass sie von einem Tierarzt versorgt wird. Ich konnte nicht in Erfahrung bringen, was mit ihr geschehen ist, aber sie humpelt nicht und zeigt auch keinerlei Schmerzen zu haben.

Lil  One finds his own pumpkin

Careful!

Take it home

Don't drop it

I have to find a place to eat it
 where Berit won't bother me

Chomp!

Pumpkin bliss for Berit



And Lil One


Both bears hard at work, devouring their pumpkins!

Happy Pumpkin Time!

And here is a video of the fun
Cincinnati Bears and their pumpkins



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Churchill was a legend - larger than life

Churchill was an iconic bear, larger than life
We have lost yet another iconic polar bear this year. Now we must say goodbye to the gruff and grand Churchill, who ruled over Rostock Zoo most of his life. He would have been 34 years old in another month.

Und wieder haben wir eine Eisbärikone verloren,eine weitere in diesem Jahr.Wir nehmen Abschied vom grummeligen,großartigen Churchill, der die meiste Zeit seines Lebens im Zoo in Rostock verbracht hat. Ende nächsten Monats wäre Churchill 34 Jahre alt geworden.

Churchill peeks out into his enclosure

He liked his vegetables. Here is a carrot
He was born November 28, 1979 in Rostock, Germany. He lived in Kolmarden Sweden and Gelsenkirchen for a couple of years, but was back home in Rostock by 1982, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Geboren wurde er am 28.November 1979 in Rostock. Danach verbrachte er viele Jahre in Kolmarden, Schweden sowie in Gelsenkirchen in Deutschland. 1982 kam er dann zurück nach Rostock, wo er bis zu seinem Lebensende blieb.

Churchill

Churchill was the father of Boris, the last remaining of the rescued Suarez Bros. Circus bears, who lives in the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington.

Churchill war der Vater von Boris; der letzte der noch überlebenden Eisbären aus dem geretteten Suarez Bros.Circus in Mexico - und Boris lebt nun in Tacoma, Washington im Point Defiance Zoo.
Churchill was a bear with many fierce expressions

Churchill was also the father, with mother Vienna, of Victoria (1996) now in Aalborg Denmark, Viktor (1998) now in Rhennen, Vitus (2000) now in Karlsruhe, Vilma (2002) who has lived in Nuremburg, Tiergarten, Wuppertal Zoo, and now is back in Rostock; and the twins Venus and Valeska (2004).

Churchill war auch gemeinsam mit Vienna der Nachkomme von Victoria(1996) ,jetzt Aalborg Zoo in Dänemark,Viktor (1998) jetzt in Rhenen, NL; Vitus (2000) jetzt in Karlsruhe,Vilma (2002); die erst im Tiergarten Nürnberg, danach dann im Zoo Wuppertal gelebt hat,nun wieder nach Rostock zurück kommt. Außerdem gibt es noch die Zwillinseisbärinnen Venus und Valeska (2004).
Churchill relaxes in his retirement home at Rostock


He is the grandfather of the famous Milak, daughter of Victoria, of the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark, and also of Anori, daughter of Lars and Vilma, of Zoo Wuppertal. Vilma has just this week returned to Rostock, and daughter Anori has a new playmate, cousin Luka.

Er ist auch der Großvater von Milak, Victoria's Tochter aus dem Aalborg Zoo in DK, ebenso von Anori, Tochter von Lars und Vilma aus dem Zoo in Wuppertal.

Seven of Churchill's children are still living
Through his son Viktor, Churchill is the grandfather of Rocky, the triplets with Huggies: Ewa, Jelle and Henk; Sprinter (2007) with Freedom; Walker and the late and much missed little Swimmer (2008) with Huggies; Sesi and Siku (now named Taiko) with Freedom in 2010; and Luka and Lynn in 2011 with Huggies. Luka is now at Zoo Wuppertal with his cousin Anori.

Durch seinen Sohn Viktor ist Churchill der Großvater von Rocky, den Drillingen von Huggies: Ewa, Jelle (jetzt Yelle) und Henk; Sprinter (2007) mit Freedom; Walker und der leider gestorbene Swimmer (2008) mit Huggies, Sesi und Siku (jetzt Taiko) mit Freedom in 2010; ebenso Luka und Lynn mit Huggies. Luka ist nun im Zoo Wuppertal gemeinsam mit seiner Cousine Anori. 

Churchill lived alone for the past few years.
 Vienna and Lars live in the larger enclosure nearby. 


Churchill in the sand pile of the Mother-Cub Enclosure.
Sometimes he would dig. Mostly he would nap.


Churchill is also grandfather to Ranzo in 2011, through his daughter Venus in Ranua, Finland.

Churchill ist auch Großvater von Ranzo im Jahr 2011, durch seine Tochter Venus in Ranua, Finland.


Vienna was injured by Churchill several years ago.
 She still lives at Rostock Zoo, but away from Churchill.


Vienna is urged to stand and stretch the tendons
 in her injured leg as therapy




Churchill spent many years with Vienna in Rostock, but a few years ago, he became aggressive, and wounded Vienna terribly, biting her and taking a chunk out of her back leg. Churchill was judged to have been too rough to ever be with another bear, so he has spent his retirement years in the Mother-Cub enclosure at Rostock, basking in the sun on warm afternoons, and digging in the sand pit to make a soft bed.

Churchill war schon einige Jahre zusammen mit Vienna in Rostock, aber dann wurde er sehr aggressiv und verletzte Vienna sehr schwer er hat sie gebissen und ein Teil ihres Hinterbeines rausgerissen.Man beschloss, dass er nicht mehr mit anderen Bären gemeinsam verbringen kann, somit verbrachte er seinen Lebensabend in der Mutter/Kind Anlage im Zoo in Rostock, ließ sich in der Sonne aalen,in der Sandkuhle graben um sich dort ein weiches Bett zu machen.
Boris in the Sand pin, getting ready to take a nap


He had a reputation to be gruff, but he had a bold personality, and many fans. He leaves behind a generation of younger polar bears in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France and the U.S.A.


Er hatte einen Ruf ruppig zu sein, aber er hatte einen kühnen Persönlichkeit, und viele Fans. Er hinterlässt eine Generation von jüngeren Eisbären in Deutschland, Schweden, Dänemark, Frankreich und den USA.



Churchill enjoying his afternoon nap on August 30, 2013,
the day of my visit to Rostock

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Siku and Qannik in Autumn



Siku in Bear Alley


Young Siku down at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky now weighs in at 640 pounds! His little polar bear girlfriend, Qannik, weighs just 400 pounds. They are good friends from afar, but are still not ready to be in the same enclosure. Siku will be four years old on December 3. Qannik will be three years old this winter.


Der junge Eisbär Siku im Louisville Zoo wiegt nun inzwischen 640 Pfund ! Seine kleine Eisbärfreundin Quannik dagegen nur 400 Pfund. Aus der Ferne sind sie schon gute Freunde, sind aber noch nicht bereit,sich im gleichen Eisbärgehege aufzuhalten. Siku wird am 3.Dezember 4 Jahre alt, Quannik wird in diesem Winter 3 Jahre alt.


Lot of stair climbing in Bear Alley keeps the legs strong.


Siku finds a sardine

Siku thinks a bucket of ice is fun

Siku is Looking for more snacks

A pizza box full of peanut butter makes a great snack for Siku
The Louisville Zoo rotates the Polar Bears and the Grizzly bears through the same enclosures. This time, I saw Siku in Bear Alley. It is very hard to take photos on a sunny day. The glass has a lot of glare.

Die Eisbären sowie die Grizzlybären gehen jeweils durch die Bären Allee, immer im Wechsel. Diesmal haben ich Siku in der Bärenallee gesehen. Es ist schwierig, an so einem sonnigen Tag Fotos zu machen, weil die Glasscheiben in diesem Gang sehr stark spiegeln.

So much glass, so much reflection.
 It isn't easy to get a good picture in Bear Alley.
I like this picture, in spite of the glare.

Siku checks it out
Siku is looking for toys in the truck
Here they are, says Siku. Lots of toys

Enjoying the peanutbutter cardboard box

Siku is a big boy now

Siku finds a little pile of dog food. 
Or is it polar bear chow?




Qannik spent time in the big pool enclosure, where she spent most of her time swimming and diving. She has found that a big log is a lot of fun to play with.

Qannik verbrachte einige Zeit in der überdachten Schwimmanlage mit Schwimmen und Tauchen. Sie hat entdeckt,daß ein großer Holzbalken großartig ist zum Spielen.


Qannik admires the Halloween decorations at Glacier Run

Qannik is swimming with a stick

Qannik says hello to her visitors

The big pool is Qannik's favorite place

Qannik likes the big heavy log to play with in the pool



Qannik
The Louisville Zoo is decked out for Halloween with plenty of pumpkins, plus witches and monsters. After Halloween, the pumpkins will turn into smashing toys for many of the animals, including Qannik and Siku.

Für Halloween wird der Louisville Zoo mit reichlich Kürbis, Hexen und Monster geschmückt. Nach Halloween werden die Kürbisse zerteilt , an viele Tiere zum Spielen und Fressen verteilt, so auch für Qannik und Siku.

Halloween Jellyfish fly through the air
 as you leave Glacier Run at the Louisville Zoo