Happy Mother's Day to Crystal

Crystal nibbles some watermelon at Kallik and Kallu's
 birthday party last November 11 at the Toledo Zoo.

Happy Mother's Day to Supermom Crystal, who is the mother or grandmother of just about every young polar bear in the U.S. (a problem when it comes to finding mates for them, but at least we have young polar bears).

Crystal is the mother of nine cubs, eight of whom are still living, and all born at the Toledo Zoo.

                             Crystal in September of 2022 - carrying twins

About a month ago, Crystal said goodbye to her twin boys Kallik and Kallu, and hello to a new suitor, the wildborn Kali.  The polar bear habitat in Toledo is undergoing renovations, so Crystal and Kali have spent their time behind the scenes, getting to know each other.

Kali was rescued as a cub in Alaska in early 2013 after a hunter shot his mother, thinking she was a male as she was such a large bear. The hunter realized there was a cub somewhere and followed the mother's tracks to her den where Kali was alone.

Kalli in the Buffalo Zoo as a fluffy cub

After a snowmobile ride to safety, Kali lived in the Alaska Zoo for a few months, then was brought to the Buffalo Zoo to be companion and playmate to young Luna of the same age, whose mother would not care for her, so Luna was raised by keepers. Luna and Kali helped each other grow up. They had so much fun together.

Kali and Luna in the Buffalo Zoo.

When they were older, Kali was sent to the St. Louis Zoo, where he had lived alone ever since, until recently coming to Toledo. Kali is a very large bear.

Kali in St. Louis

 Looking back to her 26th birthday last November, Crystal had her own party but had to share the spotlight with her two year old twins, who had their own party the next day. 

One of the cubs (Kallu?) with a birthday sign for Crystal.

Kallu, Kallik and Crystal enjoy the goodies at one of the parties.

Crystal is the mother or grandmother of almost all the younger generation of polar bears in the US. If we didn't have Crystal, we would only have a handful of aging polar bears in this country. Since 2008, a federal law has prohibited the import of polar bears from other countries. Crystal has done her best to fill that gap.

Crystal swimming in 2011

She was born in Monde Sauvage Safari Parc in Aywaille, Belgium in 1998, where she had an older sister, Blanche. Crystal came to Toledo when she was about a year and a half, in the spring of 2000, just as the fine new polar bear habitat at the Arctic Encounter was opening. A young male polar bear named Marty was waiting for her. Another female bear, wildborn Nanuyaak, usually called Nan, arrived in 2001.

Marty and Nan in 2014

Aurora and Anana

Twins Aurora and Anana were born to Crystal in 2006, and at the same time, Nan gave birth to Nikita, so there were three cubs at the Toledo Zoo. This was to be Nan's only offspring. Marty went to another zoo for a time to give his two little families room, but came back in 2008. Aurora and Anana moved to a gorgeous roomy new polar bear meadow at the Columbus Zoo and Nikita moved to the newly opened and very fine polar bear habitat at the Kansas City Zoo.

Aurora and Anana in 2011 in Columbus

Nikita now lives at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City with Crystal's granddaughter Neva.

Crystal and Siku in 2010

Siku

Next was Siku, born in 2009. Crystal did a fine job of mothering him, and in the fall of 2011 he moved to the Louisville Zoo where his grandmother Arki had retired from Brookfield Zoo. Siku currently lives in Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago with Talini.

Siku in Louisville in 2016

Suka and Sakari

In 2012 boy and girl twins Sakari and Suka were born.

Crystal, with kids Suka and Sakari bickering behind her.

Crystal nursing Sakari and Suka.

Sakari grew large quickly, but Suka was scrappy and always got her share.

Sakari and Suka in Toledo.

 When they were ready to leave, they moved to Como Zoo in Minnesota for awhile, where they lived with older gentlemen brothers Neil and Buzz. 

Suka and Sakari at Como Zoo in December 2014

Then, when their new place was ready, they moved to a brand new grassy habitat at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin.

Sakari and Suka in the meadow at Henry Vilas.
 That is a restaurant behind them.

After Sakari left Henry Vilas to move to Buffalo, old lady Berit of the Cincinnati Zoo moved in and she and Suka became best friends.

Berit and Suka at Henry Vilas Zoo in 2017.

Sakari now lives in the Buffalo Zoo with Luna, and Suka lives in the Detroit Zoo with Nuka, who is the father of Crystal's last set of twins Kallik and Kallu, as well as Suka's twins Laerke and Astra. 

Hope

Hope was born in 2015. She moved to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City where she played with Aurora's daughter Nora. Hope now lives in Brookfield Zoo in Chicago with Hudson, brother of Marty.

                                                  Hope as a cub in Toledo.

                                                    Hope in Hogle Zoo.

Borealis

Borealis, usually called Bo, was born in 2018. Since he was a single cub, Crystal was designated playmate.  Mother and son spent a lot of time in the pool. 

                                               Bo and one of his many toys

Bo was probably the silliest of Crystal's cubs. He always had to be playing a game, tossing a toy, investigating a mystery. A very busy playful cub. Bo loves his toys.

                                                 Crystal nursing Baby Bo

In 2020 Bo moved to Henry Vilas to play with Berit.

                                         Bo and Berit at Henry Vilas

 Just this year, Bo moved to Louisville Zoo, where he hopes to mate with wildborn Qannik, who has just gotten permission from Fish and Wildlife to associate with boy bears.

Marty died in late 2021. Since Crystal's daughter Suka had given birth to twins in nearby Detroit, Suka's mate Nuka was on his own, so he was brought to Toledo, where he and Crystal got along very well.

Kallik and Kallu

Twin boys Kallik and Kallu were born in late 2022. Nuka had returned to Detroit, so it was just Crystal and her cubs. She took excellent care of the babies, but probably was happy they were twins and could entertain each other while she rested and watched. She looked worn out.

          
                                                        Kallik and Kallu

Kallik was much smaller, and also more independent. Kallu always had to be near mama, while little Kallik was off happily playing by himself.

Crystal nursing her twins in the den

Kallik and Kallu have just moved to the St. Louis Zoo, changing places with Kali, who just moved to Toledo to be with Crystal.

Grandchildren

Nora

Wildborn Nanuq arrived in 2012 in Columbus. Twins Aurora and Anana loved this big hunk, who was also father of Luna in Buffalo. Aurora gave birth to Nora in Columbus in 2015 but something was wrong, and Aurora lost interest in the cub, so the keepers raised her. Nora did have some medical issues, and bone development problems, but has done very well. Nora moved to the Oregon Zoo, then to Hogle Zoo where she played with her Aunt Hope for a few years.

Hope (up) and Nora in Hogle Zoo

Nora also broke her leg while in Salt Lake City, and had to have some serious surgery with metal pins and all. Nora is now back at the Oregon Zoo with her sister/cousin Amelia Gray.

Amelia Gray, Nuniq and Neva

Amelia Gray was born in the Columbus Zoo in 2016 to Anana and Nanuq. At the same time, Anana's sister Aurora was next door giving birth to twins Nuniq and Neva.

Anana and Amelia Gray in Columbus

 The zoo rotated the two families, so the three cubs never did play together. Old Nanuk, father of Nora, Amelia Gray, Nuniq and Neva, died the spring following the cubs' births.

Nuniq and Neva in Columbus

Neva, Nuniq and Aurora in Columbus

Amelia Gray and Neva moved to the Maryland Zoo for a time, then Amelia Gray moved to the Portland Zoo to live with Nora. Neva moved to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, while Nuniq went to Henry Vilas Zoo to play with older lady Berit. He then moved to the Kansas City Zoo, where he lives today by himself. 

Kulu

Kulu was born to Aurora and to the new male polar bear in Columbus, Lee, in 2019. Lee moved to Louisville in the meantime, but has since returned to Columbus.

Kulu and his mom Aurora, Crystal's daughter

Kulu moved to Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota where he lives with the two oldest polar bears in the country, his mother's old friend Nan, and  old Neil, who doesn't seem to mind playing with the youngster. Nan is quite grandmotherly, and likes to watch them play.

Neil, Nan and Kulu in Como Zoo

Astra and Laerke

Suka gave birth to twin girls in Detroit in November of 2020, with Nuka as the father. Astra was strong and healthy, but Laerke needed medical intervention, and was taken away to be raised by keepers. Laerke grew at a slower pace, and will probably always be small but she is doing well. 

Laerke and Jebbie play

A young grizzly bear orphan named Jebbie was brought in to be a playmate, and great fun followed. Eventually, Jebbie grew to be too much larger and stronger than Laerke, so they were separated. Jebbie has gone to a wildlife sanctuary in Colorado.

                 Sisters Astra (far) and Laerke (close) separated by a moat.

When Astra was ready to leave her mom, the twins were reunited, and then they moved to Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington, where they continue to develop their sisterly love.

The future

The story may continue this fall with possible expected births by Suka and Nuka in Detroit, and by Aurora and Lee in Columbus.

There is also an outside chance that Crystal will have cubs this fall after the arrival of new mate Kali. No word on how they are getting along, but Crystal will be 27 years old in November, and the oldest bear to give birth that I know of was Uslada in St. Petersburg, who had her 16th cub when she was 26 years old.

As for the future, there is a young  girl polar bear Kava, who was rescued and lives in the Alaska Zoo. If Fish and Wildlife would agree, she would be a good mate (unrelated) for Kallik or Kallu eventually.

I hear by the grapevine that there are some interesting moves planned soon, to make some new bear pairs. 

In Memoriam - We can't forget Crystal's longtime mate Marty, father of seven of her nine cubs.

    
                                                                   Marty

For those wondering about Crystal's overseas relatives, her sister Blanche died last year, but her daughter Qannik still lives in Monde Sauvage. Blanche's son Nanok lives in Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Denmark, and there he has a son Siku and a daughter Nuno, who also has twin daughters, Nivi and Anori.  Nanok's son Nanu lives in France.  

Happy Mother's Day, Crystal.

Big changes for Crystal's family

Crystal in summer of 2023

The big news this week is the switcheroo of bears between the Toledo Zoo and the St. Louis Zoo. The move was announced after the fact. It seems that last Friday, February 28, was the last day that twins Kallik and Kallu were out in the public view in Toledo. The next thing we knew, the move had already taken place and the two year old boys were in St. Louis. 

Kallu and Kallik

Two year old Kallu and Kallik in the pool in Toledo.

In exchange, wildborn Kali (pronounced Cully) made the trip from the St. Louis Zoo to the Toledo Zoo, where the boys' mother Crystal was waiting for her new companion. 

Kali gets an ice treat, summer of 2016 in St. Louis.

Kali swims in St. Louis.

The Toledo Zoo is now repairing and upgrading their polar bear habitat, so no polar bears can be seen. In the meantime Kali will quarantine and then he and Crystal can be introduced to each other. I am not sure how much of this year's breeding season will remain by the time they meet.

Baby Kali at the Buffalo Zoo

Kali's story got off to a sad start. He was born in the winter of 2012-13 in the wilds of Alaska. A hunter mistook his mother, who was very large, for a male and killed her. Realizing that this was a nursing mother, the hunter retraced the mother bear's steps to the den and found young Kali. The hunter loaded the cub onto his snowmobile, and brought him to civilization. Kali lived in the Alaska Zoo for awhile, gaining weight and strength, and then moved to the Buffalo Zoo, where a young girl bear Luna needed a playmate.

Kali and Luna play together

Luna and Kali splash around.

Young Kali

 Luna's mother Anana was not a good mother, and ignored her, so she had been raised by keepers. The two young cubs, about the same age, hit it off and had a couple of years teaching each other to be bears.

Kali all grown up

Kali moved to the St. Louis Zoo, where he has been living alone ever since. He has grown to be a very large male. As property of Fish and Wildlife, he had been banned from the breeding program until about a year ago. His wild genes are valuable. So he has come to Toledo to find Crystal. If she is interested, we will see.

Crystal with Suka and Sakari in 2013

Crystal turned 26 years old this past November, which is at the far edge of breeding capability, but she is a proven breeder, having raised nine cubs, and the US has only three proven female breeders. The other two are her daughters Suka and Aurora, and they are already with mates.

The oldest polar bear to give birth, to my knowledge, was Uslada of the zoo in St. Petersburg Russia. Uslada was born in November of 1987. Just weeks after she turned 26 years old, she gave birth to her 16th cub Zabava in 2013.

Crystal nursing Sakari and Suka in 2013

If Crystal were to give birth next fall, it would be around the time she is turning 27 years old, so she would become the oldest. 

Crystal nursing Bo in 2019

Becoming a mother is exhausting for a polar bear. There are months of denning awaiting birth, and then months afterwards of not eating but having to produce milk for the cubs. Then when the cubs are old enough, the polar bear mom has to teach them important lessons through play, and guard them to keep them safe. If it is a single cub, mama is the only playmate, so that is even more demanding.

Crystal and probably mama's boy Kallu.

Crystal is the mother or grandmother of all the polar bears under the age of 10 in the US, except for Kava, a wildborn rescue female now in the Alaska Zoo. There is a problem finding suitable mates who are not closely related, and any cubs resulting from this new pair will also be offspring of Crystal, so I am not sure what we will gain, even if the cubs carry Kali's wildborn genes.

Crystal was born in Monde Sauvage Safari Parc in Aywaille, Belgium in 1998, where she had an older sister, Blanche. Crystal came to Toledo when she was about a year and a half, in the spring of 2000, just as the fine new polar bear habitat at the Arctic Encounter was opening. A young male polar bear named Marty was waiting for her. Another female bear, wildborn Nanuyaak, usually called Nan, arrived in 2001.

Aurora and Anana in Columbus in 2011

Crystal raised twin girls Aurora and Anana, born to Crystal and Marty in 2006. The girls moved to a beautiful meadow habitat at the Columbus Zoo. Aurora has become mother to Nora, twins Nuniq and Neva, and Kulu. Anana gave birth to Amelia Gray. Sadly, Anana passed away a few years ago.

Crystal and baby Siku

Next was Siku, born in 2009. Crystal did a fine job of mothering him, and in the fall of 2011 he moved to the Louisville Zoo where he lived next to but not with his grandmother Arki, who had retired from Brookfield Zoo. Siku currently lives in Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago with Talini.

Suka and Sakari in 2013

In 2012 boy and girl twins Sakari and Suka were born. Sakari now lives in the Buffalo Zoo with Luna, and Suka lives in the nearby Detroit Zoo with Nuka, who is the father of Crystal's last set of twins Kallik and Kallu, as well as Suka's twins Laerke and Astra. 

Crystal and Hope in 2016

Hope was born in 2015. She moved to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City where she played with Aurora's daughter Nora. Hope now lives in Brookfield Zoo in Chicago with Hudson, brother of Marty.

Crystal and Bo in 2019

Borealis, usually called Bo, was born in 2018 and in 2020 moved to Henry Vilas Zoo in Wisconsin. Just last year, he moved to the Louisville Zoo, where he is companion to wildborn Qannik, who has now gotten permission from Fish and Wildlife to associate with boy bears.

Marty died in late 2021. Since Crystal's daughter Suka had given birth to twins in nearby Detroit, Suka's mate Nuka was on his own, so he was brought to Toledo, where he and Crystal got along very well.

Kallu and Kallik in June of 2023.

Twin boys Kallik and Kalu were born in late 2022. Nuka had gone back to Detroit, so it was just Crystal and her cubs. She took excellent care of the babies, but probably was happy they were twins and could entertain each other while she rested and watched. She seemed tired.

Crystal raised the boys for two years. Recently she showed signs that she was getting annoyed with them, and so they were separated. Now the boys are off on a new adventure in St. Louis. 

Crystal was ready for her retirement, but now there is a new suitor who has arrived, and we will see what happens.

Yes, Crystal is 26 years old.

Birthday parties for Crystal and the cubs last November. A party on Sunday for Crystal and a party on Monday for the boys.

Nan, now the oldest polar bear in a US zoo, lives in the Como Zoo in Minnesota with Neil, the oldest male polar bear in the country, and Crystal's grandson Kulu. 

Relatives in Europe

For those wondering about Crystal's overseas relatives, her sister Blanche died last year, but her daughter Qannik still lives in Monde Sauvage. Blanche's son Nanook lives in Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Denmark, and there he has a son Siku and a daughter Nuno, who also has twin daughters, Nivi and Anori.  Nanook's son Nanu lives in France.