Old man Neil of Como Zoo

Neil, almost 31, gets only slightly into the pool at Como Zoo

 I paid a visit last week to Neil, who is the oldest male polar  bear in the US. Neil, who will be 31 years old in November, is one of four polar bears living at Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota, where they get a good deal of snow and cold winter weather, perfect for polar bears.

Neil smiles for the camera. Or is it a sneer?

Neil thinks he is too old for toys.

He is in fairly good health, but does take arthritis medication. He has been trained to give blood samples with a specially designed sleeve for bears, as long as he is distracted with goodies like his favorite lard, so keepers and vets can detect any changes in his health.

These days, Neil shares space with young Kulu, at left, and old Nan.

Neil still occasionally takes a swim, but it is seldom these days, because it is difficult to get out of the water. So he is rather dirty. 

Neil takes his time. 

When I was there visiting him a week or so ago, he lumbered around the pool, looking for some of the treats the keepers leave, carrots, lettuce, polar bear chow. He didn't interact with young Kulu, who was also out at the time. 

Neil barely steps in, then back out of the pool. 

He did put his front paws into the freshwater pool, but just to take a drink. No swimming that day. 

                                                    Just a little drink...

Neil and Nan in 2025

                                                          Nan and Neil, 2025

Since the death of his twin brother Buzz, Neil's companion in his old age has been wildborn Nan, who is a year older, and who came from the Toledo Zoo. I did not see her on my recent visit to Como Zoo. She and Buzz come out more seldom than they used to, and I have been told that afternoon nap time is sacred. She may come out in the morning, but both oldsters take a nap after lunchtime.

Neil emerges through the canvas straps of the door,
 designed to keep out the wind.
He reminds me of the Panzerbjorn of the Golden Compass stories.

                          Kulu and Neil the Panzerbjorn (Armored Bear)

Neil, behind him is the polar bear inspired climbing rock.
 Photo from last week's visit.

Happier days. Neil and his twin brother Buzz in 2016.

Neil and Buzz were born December 9, 1995 in Louisville to Skeena and Irsinak. The boys were named for the astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. They moved to the San Diego Zoo for several years, and then to Como Zoo in St. Paul. They made a move to Detroit in 2008 when their Como habitat was being upgraded. While in Detroit, they became popular playmates with cub Talini, then returned to St. Paul in 2010. They have shared their habitat with several guests, including their older niece Berlin when her zoo was flooded, and then twins Suka and Sakari, while they waited for Henry Vilas to finish their new habitat. Buzz died in 2020. 

Neil, Nan and Kulu in 2022

                            Neil and Kulu frolic in the water in 2022


When young Kulu arrived in 2022, Neil was re-energized and was happy to play with the youngster in the water. He and Nan played the part of nurturing grandparents to the cub. Kulu is still at Como, and also young Astra as a mate for Kulu. Neil is now getting too old to play. 

     These days, Neil on the left, too old to play with Kulu, on the right. 

A look at polar bears of extreme age

The oldest male polar bear currently is probably UD, who will be 35 years old in November. He lives at the Seversk Zoo in Russia. UD was born at the Kazan Zoological and Botanical Garden on November 29, 1991, to mother Diksa and father Umka. His name came from his the initials of his parents. UD arrived at the Seversk Zoo in 1994 and has lived there ever since. His favorite treat is carrots, and he gets ice cream once a year on his birthday.

In Japan, old male bear Yukimaru just died a few days ago, on October 1, in Yokohama. He was born in 1992 in the wilderness, so was thought to be almost 34 years old.

Ballyba of Ehime Japan was born in Aalborg Zoo December 17, 1990, so is about to turn 36 years old. She came to Japan when she was about two years old. Ballyba has a younger sister Malik who still lives in Aalborg. Ballyba is most likely the oldest polar bear in the world. She has a daughter, Peace.

In 2018, old Boris, the retired Circus Bear in Point Defiance Zoo.

Boris the rescued circus bear, son of Churchill, born in Rostock Germany, died in 2020 at age 35 at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington. He performed in the East German Circus, and with other polar bears was sold to a Mexican Circus after the Berlin Wall fell. He and the other polar bears, who were living in terrible conditions with the Suarez Bros. Circus, were rescued by the feds when the circus wintered in US territory Puerto Rico and brought to Point Defiance Zoo in 2002.

Katjuscha in Berlin Zoo in 2018.

Katjuscha was born in Karlsruhe in 1984 and died in the Berlin Zoo at age 37, in 2021. Her companions were Tosca, Nancy, Lars, and also the famous Knut. She was sister of famous dwarf polar bear Antonia.

Famous Antonia, sassy little dwarf polar bear

Katie's sister Antonia, the famous dwarf polar bear, also born in Karlsruhe, died in 2025 at almost 36 years of age, in Gelsenkirchen.

Aika in Tierpark Berlin

Aika, grandmother and great grandmother to many bears including Flocke, was born in 1980 and died in 2016 in Tierpark Berlin at the age of 36.

Debby was born in the Russian Arctic in 1966, rescued as a cub and taken to Assiniboine Zoo in Winnipeg Canada, where she had six cubs, all of whom lived to an extended age. She died in 2008, at the age of 41 years old, verified by the Guinness Book of World Records (although she may have been 42, having been born in the wild and her actual birthday unsure at the time of rescue.)

Debby's daughter Winnie, who was born in Winnipeg in 1984, moved to Sendai Japan and lived to be 36 years old.

Blizzard is no more

 

Blizzard

It is the end of the polar bear era at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington. With the death of 26 year old Blizzard, there are no polar bears, after 80 years of keeping the bears.

Blizzard

Blizzard had been diagnosed with liver cancer last year, and was being treated with chemotherapy, which gave him more time. But the tumor was aggressive, and ultimately, Blizzard lost his battle. 

Blizzard, always keeping busy.

Blizzard was born in the Canadian wilderness of Churchill in the fall of 1995, and along with another orphan, Glacier, he came from Calgary to Tacoma in March of 1997.

Already in Tacoma was a young girl cub named Nan, who had been born in the wilds of Alaska in the fall of 1994. So Blizzard grew up with Nan and Glacier as playmates.

Blizzard and one of his toys.

A smile from Blizzard.

Nan left for  the Toledo Zoo in Ohio in mid-2001. Young Blizzard and Glacier welcomed two surprising roommates late in 2002. The US government had sent in agents to rescue six  suffering polar bears in a Mexican Circus while the bears were being overwintered in Puerto Rico, which is part of the US so they had jurisdiction.

Two of the rescued circus bears came to live at Point Defiance Zoo. Kenneth and Boris were no doubt happy to be in this comfortable environment, with a pool, good food and room to roam, after years of poor diet, living in cages, suffering in the heat, and having to perform tricks for the circus.

The four bears lived happily together at the Point Defiance Zoo for many years. Kenneth died in 2012, and Glacier died in 2015. The last of the rescued circus bears, Boris, died in 2020.

Blizzard on the left, with ball, old Boris the circus bear on the right.

Blizzard, with a keeper in the background.

And now Blizzard is gone.

Blizzard was an amazing, clever bear, good at playing games and having fun. He enjoyed his visitors too, and entertained his fans with his antics. Blizzard really loved his toys and his keepers.

Blizzard on the go.

I visited Blizzard and Boris in the fall of 2018, and marveled at how active Blizzard was. Boris was quite elderly  at the time, so Blizzard was pretty much on his own, and was fairly cheerful, busy with his toys. 

And he was active up until last week, when his health deteriorated quickly. 

Blizzard  (whose exact birthday we don't know) and Nan's current companion Neil of the Como Zoo had been the oldest male polar bears in the country at age 26.

With the loss of Blizzard, there are only 39 polar bears in zoos in all of the United States. Farewell, old guy. You will be missed.

Goodbye, Blizzard

Here is who had polar bear cubs this year!

The little girls in Rostock - photo courtesy of Zoo Rostock 

Happy International Polar Bear Day on February 27!

We have had news of eight cubs born in zoos in November and December. The cubs will make their public debuts sometime in the spring, but for now, they are still denned up with their mothers. We know the Rostock cubs are girls, and the twins in Skandinavisk Dyrepark are girls as well. Victoria's baby is a boy. No news on the others just yet.

Rostock, Germany

 In Rostock, Germany, there is currently a naming contest for the twin girls born to Sizzel and Akiak on November 14. Both are first time parents.

Sizzel in Rostock

Sizzel and her twin brother Todz were born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2014 to Olinka and Eric. Olinka's father Omaha was born to Olaf and Olga in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska, so Sizzel is closely related to a number of US bears. 

Akiak in Rostock

Akiak and his twin sister Sura were born in Ouwehands in the Netherlands in 2015, to Freedom and the late Victor (one of the "V" cubs from Rostock). Freedom's grandmother CW was born in Memphis, so these cubs are cousins of some US polar bears through Akiak as well.  

Orsa in Sweden

First time mother Hope gave birth to twins, fathered by Wilbär, in Orsa Predator Park in Sweden on November 20. This news came about the same time that the park announced it will be closing in October. 

Hope is the daughter of Flocke and Raspi, and was born in 2014 in Marineland in Antibes France.

Hope in 2017 in France

Wilbär was born in 2007 in the Wilhelma in Stuttgart, Germany, the son of the late Corinna and Anton. Wilbär is the father of Miki, born last year to mother Ewa at the park.

Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Denmark

First time parents Nuno and Boris/Ivan had twin daughters in Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Kolind Denmark on December 12.

Nuno on right, playing with older brother Siku.

Nuno and her twin brother Nanu were born in Kolind in 2012 to the late Ilka and the late Nanook. These new cubs have cousins in the US, for Nuno's grandmother CW was born in the Memphis Zoo, and her grandmother Blanche is sister to Crystal of Toledo Ohio.

Boris / Ivan in Copenhagen

Boris/Ivan was born in 2005 in the Moscow Zoo to the late Murma and the late Untai, so he is brother to Raspi, Gota, and Kap, among others.  He is officially named Boris, but was given the name Ivan by the Danish zoos.

Asahikawa Japan 

Pirika and Hokuto (Ludvik) in Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa Japan had triplets on December 13, but as is so often the case, only one survived, but it is doing well. 

Pirika was born in 2005, the daughter of Lara and Denali. Pirika is first cousin of five US bears, as her father Denali was born in Salt Lake City and is the brother of the late Anana (mother of Luna) and the late Aurora (mother of Lee, Anana, Haley and Anoki).

Hokuto was born in Moscow in 2000, son of Amderma and Yukon, brother of Gogo. He has lived in Japan most of his life. 

HWP in Scotland 

Victoria and Arktos in Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland have had another cub. The birth was announced on December 16, but had taken place a few days before. They are parents of Wee Hamish, born in 2017 and now living in Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Victoria is also the mother of Milak, born in Aalborg Denmark in 2008 and now living in St. Felicien in Canada.

Victoria in Aalborg

Victoria was born in 1996 in Rostock, Germany, one of the "V" cubs born to Churchill and Vienna. She lived in Aalborg, Denmark, for many years before coming to Scotland in 2015.

Victoria with Wee Hamish in 2018 in Scotland

Arktos was born in 2007 in Vienna to Olinka and Eric. He lived in Hannover Germany for several years, then came to Highland Wildlife Park in 2012, where he lives most of the year with his best friend Walker.  Arktos' grandfather Omaha was born in the Henry Doorly Zoo to Olaf and Olga, so this cub has cousins in the US. 

Arktos (his friend Walker in background) in HWP

As we all know, polar bear cubs have a 50 percent chance of survival, for they are born so very fragile. So there were some losses, in addition to two of the triplets in Japan who did not make it. Raspi and Friida in Tallinn Estonia had cubs that did not survive. Lara and Bill in Gelsenkirchen Germany lost their twins too. 

No cubs were born in the US, unless Crystal in Toledo surprises us. Reports are that she is still denned up.

No cubs were born in Russia this year, but there have been some rescued cubs recently.

There is seldom any news about polar bears out of China.

Bear Conservation lists 310 polar bears in captivity, which includes at least some of the eight cubs in this story. 

Wuppertal's polar bear home was revolutionary in its day

 

 9 month old cub Anori, with Mom Vilma above,
in 2012.

 

Vilma swims in the pool, as little Anori plays
 on the steps of the Art Nouveau architecture 

 of her home. 

I cannot think of a polar bear habitat still in use that is older or more stylish than the beautiful Art Nouveau / Art Deco creation of Zoo Wuppertal. It was designed to be a work of architectural art, and built in the early days of the 20th Century, just as the Victorian Age was ending. This multi-faceted exhibit, which has had improvements added over the years, incorporates many features that modern enclosures boast, such as smell ports with sea lions on the other side, underwater viewing window, various levels of diving platforms, and a large swimming area.

                                                    Luka and Anori, 2016

The climbing steps, designed to suggest random ice floes piled one on top of the other, keep a polar bear's back leg muscles strong. Newer polar bear habitats emphasize varied levels, just as this century old design exhibits.

This was one of the first zoo enclosures based upon Carl Hagenbeck's idea of open exhibits for zoo animals, without bars, to give the animals a more natural home. Hagenbeck came up with the idea of using giant wire forms covered with concrete to construct somewhat natural looking exhibits, some with mixed species separated by moats within the exhibit.

                                 Hagenbeck's Polar Panorama.

 The Wuppertal design is even more advanced than Hagenbeck's.  The polar bears are separated from the visitors without the moats that Hagenbeck used as barriers. The designer used granite blocks for the back walls of the habitat.

                                          Overlooking the pool

The Wuppertal enclosure must have been quite the sight in those early days, back when even the Schwebebahn was new. Visitors would have seen an imposing architectural wonder, gleaming white and resembling an alabaster  temple. Nowadays, the paint is peeling, but it still is impressive and the bears seem to love it. Lush vines drape over the stones, adding to the beauty. The vines turn scarlet every autumn. 

I imagine that when the Wuppertal polar bear home was first opened, it had railings instead of the current glass barriers overlooking the pool on both sides.

                                 Vilma and Lars in Wuppertal in 2011

Over a century ago when virtually every other zoo kept their polar bears in cages, or possibly in the newer but still primitive bear pits, Wuppertal built a first class home for polar bears that even now is impressive. It may not meet the very high standards of modern polar bear keeping because of its more limited space and lack of grass, but it certainly is grand. With the addition a few years ago of the mother-cub enclosure out the back with its coziness and soft surfaces, the polar bears get plenty of exercise running back and forth, in addition all the swimming.

The mother-cub room has a lower area which can serve as a shallow pool for a young cub, or be drained for more play area or a mulch pit.

                                                             Anori at 9 months

           9 month old Anori and the underwater viewing window, 2012.

Zoo Wuppertal was founded in 1879, with exhibits in buildings on beautifully landscaped grounds designed by garden expert Heinrich Siesmaye. It continues to be known for its lush vegetation, rolling hills and great variety of trees. The Green Zoo.

                                 Anori (top) and Luka in 2016

The polar bear and seal/sea lion installation, the "Northland Panorama," was the first outdoor exhibits to be built at Zoo Wuppertal, right after the turn of the century, maybe 1910 or before. I haven't been able to find the exact date, but it was very early in the last century. The first polar bear cubs were born in 1931.

One of Wuppertal's more famous residents was Boris, a polar bear with a distinctive craggy face unlike any other. I did not meet Boris, as he died in 2009, but I did visit his daughter Szenja of SeaWorld San Diego. Three cubs he fathered in Wuppertal were Troll (who went to Tierpark Berlin, and died in 2015), 28 year old Candy of Japan, and Szenja, who died in 2017.

                              Szenja in SeaWorld San Diego

 

Another famous resident of Wuppertal was Lars, father of the famous Knut. He came to Wuppertal in 2009, where he and Jerka, female polar bear, got along well. And then tragedy struck. In 2010, Jerka became deathly ill with a mystery illness, and then Lars as well. Jerka did not recover, and Lars was very sick for weeks, but slowly regained his health. It was later determined to be a form of herpes from Zebras, maybe carried by mice from the far away zebras to the polar bear enclosure.

When Lars was recovered, another female arrived from Rostock. It was Vilma, and in January of 2012, she gave birth to Anori. Lars went to Rostock then, because Vilma and Anori would need the room at Wuppertal. By that time, the new mother cub room had been constructed. Anori is the only cub to have used it.

Anori's birth created quite the stir. Long lines formed to get a glimpse of this little girl when she was old enough to be presented to an adoring public. The press was there too, and photographers just couldn't get enough photos.

In 2013, Vilma moved to Rostock where Lars was waiting for her. They later had another cub, Fiete, who now lives in Hungary. Lars fathered a set of twins, Qilak and Nuka, in Aalborg Denmark. Vilma and Lars are gone now.

Anori's cousin from the Netherlands, Luka, arrived to be playmate for the nearly three year old cub. 

 
                               Water games with Luka and Anori.

Anori and Luka spent seven years together in Wuppertal, and always seemed to be having a grand time. They had inventive toys and enrichment, and loved to run from the pool area through the house and out to the mother cub area, then back again. There were pool games and contests, a tug of war, playing tag around the raft, always something to do. Birthdays were celebrated with huge colorful cakes and even more new toys, with cheering and singing by crowds of fans on those wintry party days.

                                                   Anori and Luka (in back)

But recently zoo officials decided that the time had come to close down the old polar bear habitat, when suitable homes could be found for Luka and Anori. It didn't meet the standards set by the newer enclosures, and it requires a lot of water, which is expensive in the Wuppertal area. 

A year ago, Luka moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in the UK, where he has lots of grass to roll in, and three other young males as companions.

Now, Anori is getting ready for her big journey to France. The historic polar bear structure will not go to waste for the sea lions are preparing to move in. They have probably had their eye on the neighboring property for some time!

          There are many levels for play. Here are little Anori and Vilma

The California Sea Lions are just below the polar bears, and will  expand their area, when Anori leaves.

 

The mother-cub area was a new addition. 

School children get a good luck at the cub, Anori, in the mother cub area

                    Anori standing while Luka watches in the mother cub room

             Walking up from the zoo entrance, there are the polar bears.

After more than a century, this Wuppertal landmark will be closing down as a polar bear home when Anori leaves in the coming weeks.

A traveling box has been placed in her area, so Anori can get used to it. Her new home will be in Mulhouse, France, where she will live with her cousin Sesi and cub Kara. There are two beautiful spacious grassy enclosures there, one with a smaller splashing  pool, and the other has a larger pool with a huge viewing window. As in Wuppertal, the keepers there give the polar bears lots of toys and enrichment, so Anori will be happy.

Luka underwater in 2015

Even with the polar bears gone, the Green Zoo Wuppertal will continue to be a fine place to visit. Their elephant family seems to always have one or two new babies. The interior penguin exhibit up behind the polar bear habitat is new and exciting with a 15 meter long viewing tunnel to see the King and Gentoo penguins, while the African penguins live just across the road from the Sea Lions, and they are a lot of fun to watch. The lion habitat is the largest in Germany and well worth the climb up the mountain to get there.

                   Baby Gus the elephant and his family in Wuppertal in 2019

                                        African Penguins in Wuppertal