Behind the Scenes with Bo and Crystal

Bo plays with his ball behind the scenes

Crystal's seventh cub Bo was born on December 9, 2018, and spent the first few months with his mom in the small dark den behind the scenes at Arctic Edge in the Toledo Zoo, drinking lots of milk, growing at an amazing rate, getting strong.

Bo is a very playful 8 months old now.

Bo loves his toys

When he was old enough to come out to play, still hidden from the public, his mom Crystal could teach him to swim in an adjustable shallow pool in a large area behind the regular enclosure out front, where dad Marty entertained the visitors.

Sometimes his keepers smear food on Bo's Jolly Ball

This spacious room with no roof was his home until he made his public debut in May. There is also a hall with "bedrooms" for the bears leading off the grand courtyard like area.

Bo and his Mom Crystal. 

 I took the behind the scenes tour at the end of the day, where for a small charge ($20), you can spend some time privately spying on the bears as they munch down some fish. As it turns out, it was just me and my guide, for the other two people who had signed up for the tour were no-shows.

Bo thinks he has caught a fish

 Crystal and Borealis, or Bo for short, were given a good supply of small fish, which they quickly gobbled up. They got some larger fish too, and there were vitamins and supplements hidden inside, so the bears were more reluctant to eat the bigger fish, my guide explained.

Bo checks the fish out.

Bo is proud that he "caught" one!

 Finally the bears went after the bigger fish, but seemed to be trying to avoid the vitamins hidden inside.

Bo

 Bo has plenty of toys to play with. My guide told me that Bo seems to prefer playing with balls more than anything else, and he had a pretty purple ball in the back.

Bo and his ball

Bo likes to toss things into the pool

Toys of all shapes and sizes

Bo also had part of a big blue barrel to play with, and a plastic spool just like the one I remember watching his big sister Hope push around on the ice.

A few years ago I took the behind the scenes tour at the Arctic Edge, when twins Suka and Sakari were little. They had a great time playing with the fish too. On that tour, attended by a great many more people, we were shown the water tanks where the salt water is processed, a food area with a freezer to make frozen treats for the the bears, as well as a veterinary area.

I appreciate that the Toledo Zoo offers this behind the scenes tour. I am always interested in seeing the bears in a different environment and being able to ask questions.

Crystal standing, and Bo racing

Looking for more fish?

Mom Crystal

Bo and the Lady in the Straw Hat

Bo is quite the coy character

On my first visit to see eight month old Borealis, better known as Bo, in the Toledo Zoo, I witnessed how playful he can be with his visitors. He loves to play at the window in elevated room, where he can flirt with the ladies and tease the kids who jump up to see him.

While his mom Crystal sleeps, Bo chews on his paw by the window

Is anyone noticing? Come on over and play with me.

Who wants to take my picture?

I can't smell anything? Too bad the glass is in the way.

Oh, I wish you could pet me, says Bo.

Is my paw bigger than your paw?

Oh, who is this lovely lady in that delicious hat?

Please, can I have your hat?

That hat would look so good on me. Or maybe I could eat it. 

I wish I could reach out and touch you, my dear. And your hat.

Maybe I can lick a hole in the glass.

I can see into your soul.

Gnaw, gnaw, gnaw, maybe I can chew a hole in the glass?
I  really want that hat.

Well, maybe not. The hat probably wouldn't taste good anyway.

I will pose for my fans.

I can almost reach out and touch you.

Is this my best side?

They really do love me.

 

Kali and Luna - Best Friends at the Buffalo Zoo

Kali and Luna have a new favorite toy - a PVC plumbing pipe with a moveable ring.
 The cubs fight over and play with this toy for hours.
 Here it is Kali in the water, and Luna on shore.

The Buffalo Zoo is looking to an exciting future, with the polar bear cubs Kali and Luna at the center. They are close to meeting their fund raising goal to build a fine new polar exhibit called Arctic Edge.

Die Buffalo Zoo ist in eine spannende Zukunft suchen, mit den Eisbärenkinder Kali und Luna in der Mitte. Sie sind nah an der Erfüllung ihrer Fundraising-Ziel, eine feine neue polare Ausstellung namens Arctic Edge zu bauen.

Kali at play

Luna with that favorite toy

Luna is always in the water, playing and splashing.

Kali likes to play on the land more than Luna.
 He runs back and forth from the pool to the hill.
Here has stolen the toy from Luna.

These adorable little playmates have been attracting crowds of adoring fans this summer. They have a small pool and a nice wooded area to play in, perfect while they are still small. Their zookeepers make sure they have new and interesting toys, and these little bears play together very nicely, stealing toys from each other every few minutes and chasing each other around.

Diese entzückende kleine Spielkameraden wurden zieht Scharen von begeisterten Fans in diesem Sommer. Sie haben einen kleinen Pool und einen schönen Waldgebiet an, perfekt zu spielen, während sie noch klein sind. Die Tierpfleger sicherstellen, dass sie neue und interessante Spielzeuge, und diese kleinen Bären spielen sehr gut zusammen, stehlen Spielzeug voneinander alle paar Minuten und jagen einander um.

Kali

Luna was born November 27, 2012 to mother Anana and father Nanuq at the Buffalo Zoo. Anana did not take care of Luna, so the cub was handraised by one of the keepers. For a time, no one knew that Luna existed and she was secretly being raised in the keeper's apartment.

Luna war geboren 27. November 2012, um Mutter Anana und Vater Anana Nanuq an der Buffalo Zoo. Anana wusste nicht, wie man sich um Luna zu nehmen, so das Junge wurde nach Hause genommen, um von einer der Tierpfleger betreut werden. Für eine Zeit, wusste niemand über Luna Geburt.

Mother Anana - now in the Brookfield Zoo

Father Nanuq - now in the Columbus Zoo

Mother Anana is now at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, and Nanuq is at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio.

Mutter Anana ist jetzt an der Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, und Nanuq ist im Columbus Zoo in Ohio.

Kali plans his next move to steal the pipe

Kali was born in the wilds of Alaska. His mother was shot and killed by native hunter, but Kali was rescued and brought to the Alaska Zoo in March. Kali was brought to the Buffalo Zoo in May, to be a playmate for Luna. He is thought to be about 6 months old.

Kali wurde in der Wildnis von Alaska geboren. Seine Mutter wurde erschossen von einheimischen Jäger, aber Kali wurde gerettet und brachte die Alaska Zoo im März. Kali wurde der Buffalo Zoo Mai gebracht, ein Spielgefährte für Luna sein. Er wird angenommen, dass etwa 6 Monate alt.

The old polar bear home. There are four other empty bear pits in the complex.
This will be the site of the planned new Arctic Edge

Luna's parents were moved to other zoos shortly after Luna's birth because the Buffalo Zoo closed down the five old bear exhibits, bear pits really, including the polar bear exhibit. The zoo is planning to construct The Arctic Edge, an $18 million new polar bear home, just inside the newly opened new entrance, and has raised $16 million so far. Their deadline for the last two million is in September.

Luna Eltern wurden an andere Zoos kurz nach Lunas Geburt verschoben werden, da die Buffalo Zoo geschlossen die fünf alten Bären Exponate, Bärengraben wirklich, darunter die Eisbären Ausstellung. Der Zoo plant, die Arctic Edge konstruieren, ein $18.000.000 neuen Eisbären nach Hause, nur in der neu eröffneten neuen Eingang, und er erhob $16.000.000 bisher. Die Fristen für die letzten zwei Millionen im September.

Pipe play for Kali and Luna

Luna has the pipe, but Kali wants it

Can't we share?

Kali runs away with the pipe

But the bear cubs are growing and soon will need a deeper pool to learn to swim. Luna weighed 140 pounds and Kali weighed 154 pounds in early August. The cubs are weighed every week, and might gain about a pound a day, although Kali has been gaining 10 pounds per week recently. He is a month younger, but is now a lot bigger.

Aber die jungen Bären wachsen und bald wird ein tieferes Pool schwimmen zu lernen brauchen. Luna wog 63 Kilograms und Kali wog 70 Kilograms Anfang August. Die Jungen werden gewogen jede Woche, und könnte etwa ein Pfund pro Tag zu gewinnen, obwohl hat Kali wurde gewinnt 4.5 Kg pro Woche vor kurzem. Er ist einen Monat jünger, aber ist jetzt viel größer.

Kali makes a humming noise when he sucks his thumb.

Kali has the habit of sucking his thumb and making the loud humming noise that cubs make when they nurse.

Kali hat die Angewohnheit, am Daumen lutscht und macht ein lautes Brummen, dass Jungen tun, wenn sie Milch trinken.

Ready for another chase

Luna seems to spend more time in the water, and Kali spends more time running up and down the hill, then ambushing Luna to try to take her toys, but Luna usually wins. They have a lot of fun playing with each other.

Luna verbringt mehr Zeit im Wasser, und Kali verbringt mehr Zeit rauf und runter läuft den Hügel, dann Hinterhalt Luna, zu versuchen, ihr Spielzeug zu nehmen, aber Luna in der Regel gewinnt. Sie haben eine Menge Spaß miteinander zu spielen.

Kali sitting

Fans of Luna and Kali gather to watch the fun

The zoo is considering moving them to the tiger exhibit so they will have a bigger pool, but as they grow, they will need the new exhibit. The zoo is hoping that they will have the money and can start construction this fall. They worry that if they can't start construction this fall, the cubs will have to move to another zoo that already has an adequate habitat for the bears. Good Luck to the Buffalo Zoo in reaching their goal to keep their bears in Buffalo.

Die Buffalo Zoo erwägt, die kleinen Bären auf den Tiger-Gehäuse, so dass sie einen größeren Pool haben, aber, wie sie wachsen, werden sie die neue Ausstellung benötigen. Der Zoo hofft, dass sie das Geld haben und mit dem Bau beginnen in diesem Herbst. Sie machen sich Sorgen, dass, wenn sie nicht mit dem Bau beginnen in diesem Herbst, die Jungen müssen sich an einen anderen Zoo, die bereits eine ausreichende Lebensraum für die Bären zu bewegen. Good Luck der Buffalo Zoo in ihr Ziel zu erreichen, um ihre Bären in Buffalo halten.

Kali standing and stretching