Berit has a very young admirer

 

The lovely Berit, on the right, has an admirer in young Borealis

It is interesting to observe the friendship between the two polar bears at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin. They are 20 years apart. 

Berit is the attractive older lady that young Bo follows around like a puppy dog. You can tell he admires her, and she doesn't discourage his attentions too much.  Bo is three years old, and Berit is 23.

For the past six years, Berit has been something of a babysitter or maybe a nanny, bringing up half grown cubs put into her care.

Berit has always had plenty of companionship. She and her twin brother Ulaq were born in 1998 in Denver and moved to the Cincinnati Zoo when they were about a year and a half.  Sadly, Ulaq died suddenly at the age of 4. But Berit was not alone, for her friend Rizzo, another female, was there.

Berit in back, Rizzo in front, in 2011, Cincinnati Zoo.

And then a few years later, along came a courteous male bear named Little One.  The three polar bears of the Cincinnati Zoo made for a happy threesome. Rizzo was Berit's best friend, and they often took naps together. Little One let the ladies be in charge. 

Rizzo left Cincinnati for Salt Lake City in 2012, and died five years later. So then it was just Berit and Little One in Cincinnati.

Little One eats an ice treat for Valentines Day 2015,
while Berit looks up at the keeper for more, 
at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Late in 2016, there was a three way zoo switch all at the same time. Anana left Buffalo to come to Cincinnati, Sakari left Henry Vilas to move to Buffalo, and Berit moved to Henry Vilas, where Sakari's twin sister Suka remained.

Berit on the left, and young Suka on the right,
at Henry Vilas in the summer of 2017.  

   

So now Berit had young Suka as a playmate. Berit and Suka got along famously. But Suka was growing up, and would be ready to have cubs. Suka moved to Detroit in 2018, where she is now mother of one year old Astra and Laerke.

Young Nuniq in Colubus, just before he moved to Henry Vilas.

Never fear, for a few months later, Suka's nephew Nuniq, not quite two years old, arrived from Columbus, and Berit was again the playmate of a young cub. Again, Berit had a very entertaining companion to keep her feeling young.

In late 2020, Nuniq moved to Kansas City to be companion to old lady Berlin, and Berit was again on her own, but not for long. Within a month, Suka's little brother two year old Borealis arrived from Toledo. Berit had another another bright eyed half grown cub to bring up. By now she is used to it.

Bo nuzzles his lady friend Berit.

Bo is bigger than Berit, but he still looks and acts like a cub. He looks to her for leadership and approval. 

Bo and Berit puzzle over the feeder

On the day I visited in April, the keepers had given the two polar bears a chained ladder puzzle feeder, with lettuce and maybe some other goodies inside. Berit and Bo played tug of war with the ladder, in between finding snacks. Such enrichment keeps the bears busy, and makes them work for their food, as they would in the wild.

Berit has found some snacks. Bo pulls on the chain.

Berit has again found some lettuce. Bo is still looking.

A bit of a tug of war.

Bo tries to figure this thing out.

It is a spacious habitat, and offers a sand pit for digging, right in front of the restaurant windows.

Bo chases Berit around the sand pit, in front of the restaurant windows.

Berit head toward the pit.

Bo heads toward Berit.

 

The view from the restaurant window.

There is plenty of grass in the meadow, and a good sized pool, and Berit has always enjoyed swimming her laps. But she didn't swim on the day I visited. 

It is good enrichment to give the polar bears
 a new environment occasionally. 

During the winter, when the grizzly bear sisters are denned up, the polar bears sometimes take over the neighboring habitat. 

Berit heads inside.

When Berit went inside, Bo would usually follow her, although he sometimes came out again and spent some time on his own.

With Berit inside, Bo is on his own.

Bo by the pool. He cries out to Berit, who is inside.

 At one point he was lounging by the pool, and calling to Berit to come out and join him. She finally did come out, and he got very affectionate with her, even attempting to mount her, but it was past breeding season and he is only three years old, after all. Maybe next year he will be more successful in wooing his older lady.

Bo attempts to get amorous with Berit. She says "what are you doing?"

Is Berit laughing at young Bo's attempts?

Let's kiss and make up. 

It is obvious that the two bears get along well. There probably won't be a pregnancy from this pairing, for Berit was on birth control early in her life, which has likely left her sterile. They do seem happy together.

Bo and Berit make a cute couple.

A little about Henry Vilas Zoo

The zoo was born of a family tragedy. Five year old Henry, son of William and Anna Vilas, died of diabetes complications and his parents donated a large tract of land for a park and zoo in their city of Madison, Wisconsin, in memory of their son in 1904, with the stipulation that the facility must remain free. Whenever I go to this zoo, I think of little Henry, and am grateful for his legacy.

The first bear exhibit was built in 1913. In 1988, two orphaned polar bear cubs, Nanuq and Norton, are were brought to the zoo. Nanuq grew up to become the father of Luna, Nora, Nuniq (who later came to live at Henry Vilas for a time), Neva and Amelia Gray. Norton became the father of Triton, who was the father of Talini. 

 Here are Bo's aunt and uncle, Suka and Sakari, as Arctic Passage celebrated its grand opening in May of 2015. 

Arctic Passage opened in 2015, with Suka and Sakari as the first polar bear residents.

The Henry Vilas Zoo is one of ten remaining free zoos in North America. 

A final farewell to Little One

 

One of my favorite photos of Little One.
He was stealing Berit's heart during Valentine Enrichment back in 2015.

Little One

Such sad news today, from the Cincinnati Zoo. Little One was euthanized this morning, suffering from renal failure. At age 31, he was the oldest male polar bear in the country. He was active up until his final few days, when he seemed to lose interest in his activities and his food.

He was born in Cleveland December 13, 1989, and came to the Cincinnati Zoo in 2007.

His mother was Snowball and his father was Nauyet. Little One's brother Blizzard, born in 1984, was the mate of Snow Lily, and the father of the late Tundra. He died in 2006.

His only living relative is a sister, 29 year old Satuki in Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido Japan.

Little One has enjoyed great companionship over the years, first with Rizzo and Berit, and then with the lovely little Anana.

He was a popular guy at the zoo, with a great many fans who will miss him terribly.

Since Cincinnati is my local zoo, I have visited Little One many times over the years, and have put together a little photo gallery in remembrance of the good times.

Little One enjoyed his enrichment snacks, here a little watermelon.

Berit, now in Wisconsin, and Little One 

Anana, now also gone just in February, and Little One

Little One and Anana in 2018

Little One was very fluffy, and had lots of fur on his feet

Little One on his 31st birthday, last December 13 

In the days when we had three polar bears in the Cincinnati Zoo.
Little One, Rizzo and Berit

Little One and Rizzo in 2012

Rizzo and Little One in 2012

Little One liked his toys at times, 
 especially if someone else wanted to play with them.

Little One peeking through the gate between enclosures

The last time I saw Little One, just last month. It was February 23.
He was out and about and seemed fine.

Rest in Peace, Little One. You were well loved. Now there are no polar bears at the Cincinnati Zoo.

The many loves of Little One

 

Little One cuddles Anana, while she eats.
Who can think of food at a time like this? he asks.

Little One of the Cincinnati Zoo has just turned 31 years old, the oldest male polar bear in this hemisphere. He lives alone now, but for most of his life, he has shared his space with three special ladies. For all his efforts, though, he has never fathered a cub. 

Little One

He was born December 13, 1989 in the Cleveland Zoo to Snowball and Nauyet. His older brother Blizzard was born in 1984 and died in 2005. Blizzard fathered one cub, a son named Tundra, with Snow Lily. Tundra died in 2017. Snow Lily still lives, and is the oldest polar bear, at age 36, in the Western Hemisphere.  

Little One has a sister, now age 29, in Japan. Satsuki has never had cubs. She was born in 1991 and moved to Japan in 2007.

He also had a half sister, Aurora, born in 1982 and died in Cleveland in 2012. She had lived in several other zoos over the years.

Little One lived in Cleveland until he was eight years old. He lived in Silver Springs Maryland for a few months, then returned to Cleveland where he stayed for another ten years. I don't know anything about his love life during those Cleveland years. For some of that time, his half sister Aurora also lived in Cleveland. 

Pumpkin time at the Cincinnati Zoo

At the beginning of January in 2007 he came to Cincinnati, where he met 8 year old Berit and 10 year old Rizzo. 

In the days of the Three Bears in Lords of the Arctic

Rizzo, a pretty round fluffy girl, was Little One's favorite. He liked Berit well enough, but they were just friends. 

Rizzo and Litle One

The two girls, however, really were best friends, and often took naps together, preferring each other's company unless it was springtime breeding season.

Berit and Rizzo sleeping in December of 2011. They were best friends

Little One and Rizzo

In 2012, Rizzo was moved to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City where there was a brand new enclosure, and they really wanted a polar bear. Rizzo lived there alone until her death in 2017. 

Berit and Little One

After Rizzo left the Cincinnati Zoo, Little One took another look at Berit, and thought she looked pretty good. So during breeding season, they would play courtship games and splash in the water. Still, no cubs. 

Little One steals Berit's heart on Valentine's Day

Little One and Berit

Berit and Little One

The folks at the Species Survival Plan thought they would shake things up, and in the spring of 2016 moved Berit to Madison Wisconsin, bringing in a female who had already produced a cub, Anana, from Buffalo. 

In 2012,  Anana had given birth to Luna, who was raised by keepers because Anana was not a good mother. Anana had spent some time in Brookfield Zoo while a new polar bear facility was built in Buffalo, then returned to Buffalo for a time, before coming to Cincinnati.

 
                              Little One watches Anana from a distance.

Anana and Little One did not hit it off at first. For their first year, they showed a great dislike toward each other, grufting and growling when the other one got to close. They mostly avoided each other.

                      The confrontation. Alana on shore and Little One in the water.

Maybe Little One was missing his old comfortable companion Berit. Maybe Anana was a little too pushy for him. In any case, it was like oil and water. The breeding season of the spring of 2017 came and went. Spring and Summer and Fall passed by. 

Little One wants Anana's attention.

And then, like a light switch being turned on, Little One and Anana seemed to fall in love.

In the spring of 2018 they were the lovebirds of the Cincinnati Zoo. In the fall and winter, everyone waited to see if Anana would have cubs. But no. There were no cubs that year.

Love bites for Anana

Breeding season arrived again in the spring of 2019. Little One followed Anana around like a puppy dog. Volunteers with clipboards documented their every move. Cameras watched them at night. Everyone was hopeful once again. Zookeepers got her a smaller box for the den because that was supposed to help. More volunteers watched the den cam. Local news stations posted updates. 

Anana flirts with Little One

Anana and Little One

Anana and Little One

Mr. and Mrs. Anana

Anana asks Little One to come into the pool with her

Little One loves Anana

And then we were all let down again when Anana emerged from her den. 

After that, it was decided that Little One was just getting too old for all the excitement and exertion of another breeding season. Anana was packed off to Detroit, where there is a another female, Suka, and a 16 year old male named Nuka, who is considered fertile. 

Little One on his birthday

Little One has been alone since last January. He was very active, out and about, when Anana lived in Cincinnati. Now he mostly sleeps in the pile of straw behind his rock, sometimes takes a swim, sometimes lumbers around the enclosure.

His keepers say he is doing fine for his age, no major problems. He has lost weight, and sleeps a lot. They let him do what he wants, when he wants to. They say he actually prefers living alone now.

His favorite foods are peanuts, his polar bear chow, and fish. He got some mackerel for his 31st birthday, but there wasn't a party planned. He would probably sleep through it anyway.

He has toys, recently a new giant pickle. But he doesn't really play anymore. He did play when Anana was here. They would spend hours in the pool, splashing and teasing each other.

Little One on his birthday, December 13. There's that pickle he never plays with.

He is more active in the morning, although some have caught him awake in the early afternoon.

And when he dreams, does he dream of his past loves? Berit, Rizzo and Anana.

Little One in July of 2020, yawning, probably ready for another nap