Moving season for the bears

 Now that the summer is over, and weather is cooler, some of the planned moves for polar bears have taken place, or are coming right up.

Earlier this year, Haley moved from Memphis to the Detroit Zoo, where both she and Suka are currently denning up. Also in Detroit is Nuka, twin brother of Koda, whom Haley left behind in Memphis.

Haley

In August, almost 9 year old Amelia Gray, daughter of the late Anana and Nanuq in the Columbus Zoo, moved from the Oregon Zoo in Portland, where she lived with her sister/cousin Nora, to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, where she joined Hudson and her Aunt Hope. Hudson is brother of Amelia Gray's late grandfather Marty of Toledo. With almost all the younger bears related to the Crystal-Marty family, the officials are trying their best to match up possible polar bear breeding couples.

Amelia Gray

An upcoming move will split up Crystal's twins Kallik and Kallu, born in Toledo almost three years ago and currently in St. Louis. Their father is Nuka of the Detroit Zoo. Kallik will moved to the Oregon Zoo, and current resident Nora will move to the Henry Villas Zoo to be with older lady Berit.  So Kallik will be alone at the Oregon Zoo and Kallu will also be alone at the St. Louis Zoo for the time being. 

Kallik and Kallu

Nora, who was born with a bone condition and was raised by her keepers, is the daughter of Aurora and the late Nunuq, born in Columbus almost 10 years ago. While living in Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, she suffered a severe bone break, and had to have extensive surgery involving screws and other metal parts to stabilize her paw. She is totally recovered now, but may not be good breeding material due to her bone problem. Even so, She is moving to the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin where they plan to bring in a male for her at some time in future, in addition to Berit currently living there. The Henry Vilas Zoo plans to move the two grizzly bear sisters to another zoo so the polar bears will have two enclosures.

Nora in Salt Lake City

Twins Astra and Laerke, almost four years old and living at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington, have been split up, with Astra going to Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota, where there are currently three bears. Young Kulu, almost six years old, is to be Astra's mate. Since Astra's mother Suka and Kulu's mother Aurora are sisters, Astra and Kulu are first cousins.

 The other two Como bears, Nan and Neil, are elderly and quite beloved there, but will not always be around so Como Zoo is looking to the future with a new breeding pair. Laerke  and Astra were born at the Detroit Zoo, daughters of Suka and Nuka. Laerke was failing within a few days after birth, so was taken into the care of zookeepers, where she faced challenges. To give Laerke company, a grizzly bear cub named Jebbie was brought in to be her companion. Astra and Laerke were finally allowed to play together when they were about two years old, and were moved to the Point Defiance Zoo together. Soon Laerke will be alone again, but she did grow up for many months with just human company, so she should be comfortable with that.

Astra in Detroit

Cubs this year?

To speculate on who might be giving birth in the coming few months, I am hopeful about Aurora and Lee in Columbus, and Suka and Nuka in Detroit. Wildborn Qannik in Louisville is a long shot this year since she injured her paw just as her first breeding season started with her new companion Bo, but she is denned up anyway. Haley in Detroit may have been bred by Nuka's brother Koda in Memphis last spring before she moved, and she is denned up as well.

Luna and Sakari in Buffalo have had many years of trying, but this year may be different, for I hear they are doing something different in Buffalo.

Nikita and Neva in Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City are also a possibility.

Although the powers that be brought wildborn orphan Kali from St. Louis to Toledo to be mate to Crystal in hopes for more cubs from this champion mother, I doubt that will happen. Crystal will be 27 years old this fall, and as far as I know, the oldest mother to give birth was Uslada in St. Petersburg at age 26. I have not heard much news about Crystal and Kali being together during breeding season.

In Europe, so many of the bears have been split into boy groups and girl groups, to prevent overpopulation, just the opposite problem the US zoo are facing.

Malik nursing cubs Imaq and Inuk in Aalborg.

I am hopeful that my Rasputin and Malik in Aalborg  Denmark, will produce cubs this year. I am pinning my main hopes on this pair. Both have proven fertile.

In Hanover, we  have Sprinter and Milana (also Vera is there), so that might work. We also have Nuka's twin sister Qilak in Pairi Daiza, where there are twin brother Bely and Cery, although I don't know if they have been together. 

15 year old Qannik, daughter of Toledo Crystal's sister Blanche, is with Cora's son Nanuk in Zoo Sauvage in Belgium. 

European moves

In Europe, Anna and Elsa have left their mother Valeska in Bremerhaven's Zoo Am Meer, and have moved to Zoo Brno in the Czech Republic, where longtime resident Cora was already enjoying the new enclosure. Anna and Elsa are soon to be six years old. There is a trend in European zoos to form all girl groups, or all boy groups, since their breeding program has been so successful, and they do not want a surplus of cubs with no home to go to.

Last May, Anouk left her mother Victoria in Hamburg and moved to to a brand new polar bear home in  Lumigny Safari Resort just outside of Paris. Anouk will be three years old in December. Her father is the late Kap. In June 10 year old Nicky arrived from Zoo de Cerza, also in France, where she had been living with her twin sister Simone. Those twins are offspring of Frimas and Henk in Eindhoven Zoo in the Netherlands.

Queen Nan is the oldest polar bear in the USA

Nan (and friend) in the Toledo Zoo, 2014

 Nanuyaak is her official name, but we all just call her Nan. At age 30, Nan is the oldest polar bear in the US zoo system. She started off life in the wilds of Alaska, and was rescued as an orphan on May 1, 1995, spending a few days in the Alaska Zoo.

Nan in Como Zoo - just weeks ago.

The little orphan girl Nan lived and grew up for six years in the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington. In 1996 two more orphans, from Churchill in Canada, arrived in Tacoma. The boys Blizzard and Glacier were a year younger than Nan. I imagine that Nan, Blizzard and Glacier were playmates, since they were close in age.

Nan, Neil and young Kulu at Como Zoo

Point Defiance has been home to a good number of polar bears over the years. Blizzard and Glacier remained at Point Defiance until they died, Glacier in 2015, and Blizzard in 2023. 

Nan moved in 2001 to Toledo to join young Crystal at the brand new Arctic Encounter. Crystal had arrived from Belgium the year before. A young male named Marty had arrived in Toledo from Brookfield Zoo in 1999. Marty was two years younger than Nan. This trio of young bears started a tradition of having polar bear cubs in Toledo. 

Marty and Nan in Toledo 2014

In the fall of 2006, both lady bears gave birth to Marty's cubs. Nan had a son Nikita born November 21, and Crystal gave birth to twin daughters, Aurora and Anana, on November 25. 

Nan and Marty in Toledo 2014

Things were fine while the moms were in their maternity dens, but when the cubs were old enough to make their debuts, things got crowded, with rotating the two young families, and also Marty, through the one public enclosure. They do have separate enclosures in the back, but it was thought best that Marty should leave for awhile, moving to Pittsburgh for over a year. Then in a swap at the end of 2008 Marty returned to Toledo, and twins Aurora and Anana moved to Pittsburgh, where they stayed for a year until their brand new home in Columbus was ready. 

Nikita stayed in Toledo until he was a little over three years old, then moved to the Kansas City Zoo. Later he moved to the North Carolina Zoo, and is now in Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City with Crystal's granddaughter Neva.

While Marty and Crystal went on to have more cubs, Nikita was Nan's only offspring.

Nan on rock, and her friend Crystal, in Toledo - 2015. 

Nan stayed in Toledo until 2017, when she moved to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, to be companion to Marty's brother Hudson. In 2021, Nan moved to Como Zoo in St. Paul, where old Neil was alone after the death of his twin brother Buzz in August of 2020.

Kulu, Nan and Neil in the center area at Como Zoo 2022.

Nan has settled in well at Como, and it has done Neil a world of good to have her as a companion. 

Neil and Nan enjoy lettuce and snacks - 2022 at Como Zoo.

Nan on the left, and Neil - July 2025

Neil, Nan and Kulu at Como Zoo in 2022.

In 2022, young Kulu arrived from Columbus. Kulu was two years old, the son of Crystal's daughter Aurora. It was likw the story of "The Three Bears," and everything was just right for Grandpa Neil, Grandma Nan and young Kulu. 

Nan and Kulu in 2022 at Como Zoo

Nan watches as Kulu and Neil play in the water in 2022

In those days, Neil played with Kulu quite a bit then, but has slowed down in the past couple of years, and now Nan is the primary playmate for Kulu.

Kulu tries to boss Nan. It doesn't work. Nan is in charge.

This year the Como Zoo planted a field of wildflowers in one of the enclosures, to make a gorgeous natural habitat for the polar bears, and they love it. 

Again, Kulu tries to challenge Nan, in the wildflowers.
 She doesn't back down and Kulu runs away.

The happy bear family in the wildflowers at Como. 

Currently, the oldest polar bear in a zoo worldwide is Antonia, who is a dwarf polar bear, something unique in all the world. Antonia is 35 years old and lives in Gelsenkirchen ZOOM in Germany. She was born in Karlsruhe of normal sized parents. 

Antonia of Gelsenkirchen ZOOM is 35 years of age.

Nan is quite active, and has no problem climbing up the polar bear shaped Pride Rock, chasing young Kulu when he gets out of line, and roaming in the meadow. Sometimes she swims with Kulu too.

Kulu and Nan have a swim.

And swim some more.

30 year old Nan on Pride Rock at Como Zoo.

As for the other older bears in the US, Nan's companion Neil is the oldest male in the US and actually in the world, born December 9, 1995, in Louisville, and at 29 years old, is the same age as wildborn female Chinook in San Diego (birthday unknown). Female Snowflake of the Pittsburgh Zoo is a few weeks older than Neil at 29. Snowflake was born November 28, 1995, in Buffalo.

Male Kiska of ABQ Biopark, is 28 years old. He and his late twin brother Koluk were born November 19, 1996, in Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City.  Anoki of the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester NY was born November 20, 1996 so is 28 years old, one day younger than Kiska.

Nan and Neil

Neil and Nan, happy in their senior citizens home at Como,

Farewell to Payton

 

Payton in Memphis in 2012.

We heard today of the sudden passing of Payton, son of Arki and Aussie. He had been living in the North Carolina Zoo with Aurora and Yukon's daughter Anana since January of 2021. He died two hours into a transport to the Louisville Zoo yesterday, October 25. 

Payton in 2012

He would have been 20 years old on November 8. Payton was named for NFL running back Walter Payton. 

Payton

I visited him in October of 2012, when he was living in Memphis with Haley. He had moved to the Memphis Zoo with Aurora and Yukon's daughter Haley, who had come to Chicago from the Seneca Park Zoo in New York to get to know him. The two moved together from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in January of 2006. There were never any offspring from these two.

Payton with the kids

Arki and Aussie were the parents of five cubs. Marty, who was born in 1996, moved to Toledo and went on to father many cubs there, all but one with Crystal. Marty died in Toledo in 2021. Arki and Aussi's daughter Tiguak, who was hand raised, went to Canada and died in 2011 while undergoing a procedure under anesthetic.  Kinepak, born in 2000, died in Buffalo in 2007. Payton was born in 2003 and Hudson, the only offspring still alive, was born in 2006 in Brookfield. 

Payton was well loved in Memphis, and also in North Carolina, a cooperative and laid back bear who always had a good relationship with his keepers.

Payton was a playful boy.

I only visited him once, but noticed he had the same kind of dance as his mother Arki, only in the water. He seemed to enjoy interacting with the youngsters who visited him.

Payton interacting with the visitors in Memphis

Payton did the reverse dance, like his mom Arki.

Payton loved to see the kids at the window

Payton at the window in Memphis

Payton

This leaves only 39 polar bears in US zoos, and there is a law preventing the import of polar bears from outside the US.

Payton

Payton was destined for the Louisville Zoo, where wildborn Qannik lives, but she is property of Fish and Wildlife, and cannot be part of the breeding program.

Farewell, Payton. You were such a good bear.

The Three Bears of the Como Zoo

Kulu in front, Nan in the center, and Neil in the back,
having a lettuce snack.

Just like in the story of Goldilocks, there's a family of three bears living at the Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota. In this family, however, there are a Grandpa bear and a Grandma bear, living with a two year old cub, and they are all just right.

Kulu

Neil on the left, munching on lettuce. Nan is on the right.

26 year old Neil lost his twin brother and lifelong companion Buzz in August of 2020. 27 year old Nan arrived from the Brookfield Zoo the following February, so this pair has been together for over a year. Wildborn Nan lived for many years in the Toledo Zoo and is the mother of Nikita, who lives in the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City now, so she is familiar with the needs of a cub. 

Old lady Nan, on the left, watches as young Kulu passes by.
 She is a good babysitter.

Young Kulu arrived at the Como Zoo last October, just before his second birthday. He was born in the Columbus Zoo, the son of Aurora and Lee, on November 28, 2019.

Neil on the left engages in some friend horseplay with young Kulu.

The older bears at Como enjoy playing with this cub. Kulu is as big as they are but still thinks he's a baby. Neil especially likes to play fight with Kulu in the water.

Nan watches over Kulu playing in the water.

Nan is always keeping a watchful eye. 

Neil has experience playing with an older cub, from the time he and Buzz spent in the Detroit Zoo while Como Zoo was updating the polar bear enclosure. In Detroit, Neil and Buzz were playmates of young Talini, and they had a great time.

The Como Zoo has two wonderful outdoor areas for the bears, with an interior section as a pass through between areas and as access to the bedrooms. The visitor building is a nice cozy place to view the bears in the central area, as well as the two outside habitats.

I was lucky enough to visit Como for three days in early April, and it was cold and rainy, so the bear visitor building was the best place to be. Spring comes late to Minnesota. Only the right hand area was available to the bears during my visit. 

In the center training area, Kulu is standing up on the left,
Nan is center, Neil is on the right.

From left, Kulu, Nan and Neil, in the training area.

There were some fun interactions between the three bears in the central area. During past visits, this is where the keeper talks are given, along with training demonstrations. But not now, probably because of Covid.

Kulu had fun with the giant pickle.

Como Zoo is still requiring online reservations to limit the number of visitors. 

Kulu plays with a visitor.

We could observe Kulu swimming in the deep pool, and he had a good time with the many toys provided, as well as tussling with Neil. 

Neil (in front) and Kulu splash it up.

The two older bears, the "grandpa and grandma," get along well. Neil has adjusted to the loss of Buzz, and I am sure that having Nan and Kulu there is a big help, for Neil has always had a companion.

Nan is happy with her lettuce snack.

26 year old Neil (along with wildborn Blizzard of the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington, whose birthday is uncertain) is the oldest male polar bear in the U.S.

Neil is looking rugged these days.

Nan and Neil in the training area.

At  27, Nan is up there in age too, and is the second oldest polar bear in the U.S., behind Berlin (32 years old) of the Kansas City Zoo.  Berlin, by the way, lived at Como Zoo with Neil and Buzz for a time after her enclosure in the Duluth Zoo was destroyed in a flash flood back in 2012. Neil is uncle to Berlin, even though he is younger.

Neil thinks about having some more lettuce.

Kulu has lots of toys.

Kulu is a very big cub. He was always big for his age.

So while the older bears like to play with Kulu, they do get tired and need to rest, so then Kulu is on his own. He is fine with playing by himself. 

I visited Kulu many times as he was growing up in the Columbus Zoo. I am happy to see how well he has settled into a comfortable routine at the Como Zoo.

The glass is wet from the rain, as Neil and Kulu battle it out.

Kulu seems very happy in St. Paul with his  adoptive "grandparents." 

Kulu with a sunken "iceberg"

Kulu

Kulu the champion swimmer

For visitors who would like a taste of spring, a visit to the Sunken Garden at to Como Zoo is a delight as well. 

Como Zoo is a free zoo, and also offers many botanical delights such as a rainforest room, a fern room, and the Sunken Garden.