Kulu and the old folks home

 

Kulu on the left, Nan says hello on the right.

Young Kulu

The largest of three bears at the Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota, young Kulu, is 5 1/2 years old and weighs 1300 pounds. As polar bear keeper Allison says, he is now a young adult, with hormones surging through his body. His companions are up there in years. Nan, at 30, is the oldest polar bear in a US zoo. Neil, at 29, is the oldest male polar bear in the world.

Nan on rock, Neil center, and Kulu, right

It is like an old folks home that has had a teenager move in, as Allison says. While having a youngster around helps keep the oldsters on their toes, Kulu is learning adult bear behavior from Nan and Neil.

Kulu on rock, Nan below

Kulu was born as a single cub in the Columbus Zoo to Aurora and Lee on November 28, 2019.

Baby Kulu in Columbus with mom Aurora

Previously, Aurora had given birth to Nora and twins Nuniq and Neva. This is a first offspring for Lee. Aurora, daughter of Crystal and Marty, was born in the Toledo Zoo along with her twin sister Anana, who passed away several years ago. Lee is the son of another Aurora (born in Salt Lake City), and Yukon, who was born in the Cincinnati Zoo.

Kulu and his mom Aurora in Columbus

When baby Kulu reached a certain age, Aunt Anana was introduced and quickly became Kulu's favorite playmate, while mother Aurora took naps or watched. 

Kulu in center, with mom Aurora and Aunt Anana in Columbus

Kulu plays with his Auntie Anana in Columbus

In the fall of 2021, Kulu moved to Como Zoo, where Neil and Nan were waiting. They easily took over the role of doting adoptive grandparents, and Kulu especially enjoyed playing in the pool with Neil.

Neil and Kulu spar in the Como pool - in 2022.

Now that Neil is a few years older and slowing down, Kulu plays a lot more with Nan, who is half his size at 650 pounds, but she knows how to keep him in line. 

In 2025, Kulu begs Neil to come into the pool. But it is too hard
 for Neil to get in and out because of his arthritis, so he declines.

Nan is still the boss. After all, Kulu grew up being bossed around by the ladies, his mom Aurora and his Aunt Anana. 

Kulu and Nan

I visited a few months ago, and the three bears enjoyed frolicking in the wildflower meadow, playing games and even engaged in a bit of chasing. 

Nan, Kulu and Neil in the wildflowers  this summer

Old Neil rarely goes into the water these days, but that doesn't stop Kulu from begging the old guy to join him in the pool. 

Kulu and Nan have a little battle in the wildflowers

Nan doesn't mind being a swim buddy for Kulu, although there isn't a lot of playing. She does her best, though.

Kulu gives Nan a little "kiss" in the Como pool. 

Or maybe a little bite for Nan.

Kulu's older companions are family too. While wildborn Nan is unrelated, she did live for many years in the Toledo Zoo with Kulu's grandparents Crystal and Marty. Neil is brother of the late Icee, who was father of Kulu's grandfather Yukon who was born in the Cincinnati Zoo, so Neil is Kulu's great great uncle. 

Kulu on the left, Great Great Uncle Neil on the right.

Winter is coming in a few months and there will be plenty of snow and cold at Como Zoo. Kulu will celebrate his 6th birthday. Nan will be 31, and Neil will be 30. Yes, things will change as Nan and Neil get older, and someday will pass on, but for now, it is a great situation for a young polar bear boy. 

A lovely situation,
 Nan, Kulu and Neil all living happily together at Como Zoo.

Kulu is a busy boy, always up to something.

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,

Old Neil in his golden years

 

Nan, age 30, and Neil, age 29.

Neil drools a bit in his old age.

Neil

Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota is home to three polar bears, two of whom are age related record holders. While Nan is the oldest female polar bear in the US, Neil is the oldest male polar bear in human care.

Nan on rock, Neil and Kulu

Neil, named for astronaut Neil Armstrong, and his twin brother Buzz (the namesake of Buzz Aldrin), were born in the Louisville Zoo on December 9, 1995.  Their father was Irsinaki. Their mother Skeena was half sister of Arki (mother of Marty). Neil and Buzz had an older brother, Icee, who lived at the Cincinnati Zoo where he fathered twins Berlin (who later lived with Neil and Buzz) and Yukon (father of Lee and others). Neil and Buzz's older sister Ulu became the mother of Berit of the Cincinnati Zoo, now living in Henry Vilas. Irsinaki and Skeena were also the parents of triplets born in the Louisville Zoo in 1992, one of these triplets was Aquila. 

 

Neil and Buzz's mother Skeena with her triplets.

Neil and Buzz moved to San Diego in 1997, and lived there for five years, before moving to Como Zoo in 2001. 

Neil on top of the viewer tunnel, Detroit 2009

Because of planned renovations at Como, the twins lived in Detroit for two years from 2008 to 2010, where they played with young Talini, Barle's cub. They then returned to Como, where they lived happily together at their Polar Bear Odyssey until Buzz died in 2020.

During that time, they played host to three grizzly bears in 2011 whose zoo home in Minot, North Dakota Zoo was flooded out, until their enclosure could be rebuilt.

Berlin, right, in Como Zoo in 2012.
 One of the brothers watches in the doorway.
(Photo by daughter Corinna)

Then they welcomed their older niece Berlin, whose enclosure at the Duluth Zoo was consumed by a river flood in 2012. She stayed for six months, and enjoyed bossing around her younger uncles before moving to the Kansas City Zoo, where she lived well into old age. 

Neil and Buzz in the center area, while the kids play in the deep pool - 

                                             - 2014 (Photo by daughter Corinna)

Suka and Sakari play in the big pool while Neil and Buzz watch,
 top photo. - 2014 - (photo by daughter Corinna)

Neil, playing on the shallow pool side,
 while the youngsters had the deep pool in 2014

In 2014, those crazy two year old twins Suka and Sakari moved in from Toledo, waiting for their new home at Henry Vilas to be completed. The young twins stayed for seven months! Their father Marty was nephew of Neil and Buzz's mom Skeena.

Neil and Buzz - 2016

After that, Neil and Buzz closed their Bear B&B and it was just the brothers together until Buzz passed away in 2020. Neil struggled being alone, so older lady Nan came to Como Zoo in 2021. A few months later, two year old Kulu arrived from the Columbus Zoo. Kulu is the son of Crystal and Marty's daughter Aurora, and Yukon's son Lee.

Nan, Kulu and Neil at keeper talk time - treat time.

Neil's food is ground up and put in a paper cup.

Neil is related to Kulu through both his mother and his father. Neil's brother Icee was father of Yukon, grandfather of Lee, and great grandfather of Kulu. Neil's mother Skeena was sister of Arki, who was mother of Marty, grandmother of Aurora, and great grandmother of Kulu.

Neil and Kulu playing in 2022, back when Neil felt better.

Nan, being wildborn, is not related to Kulu or Neil, but she did live for many years in Toledo with Crystal, who is Kulu's grandmother.

Neil and Kulu in 2022

Polar Bear Odyssey has a great set up for polar bears. Since 2010, the bears have enjoyed two lovely enclosures of 13,140 square feet outdoor space with saltwater pools and grass and shrubbery, and a central training area. Their favorite side is the right, with the 16 foot deep diving pool, sometimes stocked with live fish. But the left side, with the shallower pool that Neil favors, is where the snacks are placed for the daily keeper talk, and this year, this enclosure has turned into a wildflower meadow, towered over by a polar bear shaped jutting rock. There is also a digging pit, so that's fun too.

Nan and Neil in the wildflowers, July 2025

Neil, at age 29, has lost most of his teeth, which is why his mouth seems to be foaming when he eats, and often drools. His keepers mash up his food to help him out. Neil weighs 1000 pounds, now, which is a little less than when he was in his prime, but the lighter weight is easier on his bones, so the keepers try to keep it about there. 

Neil in the wildflowers - July 2025

Nan weighs 650 pounds. Kulu weighs 1300 pounds.

Neil has arthritis, which makes it hard to get in and out of even the shallow pool, which is why he looks so dirty. Still, he does manage a bath every few weeks. I did see him wander out into the wildflowers, and he even attempted to climb the polar bear rock.

Neil by the shallow pool - July 2025

When Kulu first arrived in 2021, Neil would often play with the youngster. But Neil is slowing down. Kulu still wants him to play, but most of the time Neil just can't. So Kulu plays with grandma Nan, who is happy to spend time with the young bear. 

During the keeper talk, Keeper Allison pointed out that in the wild, a bear like Neil would be lucky to live to be 15. 

Neil in 2013. 

Neil and the other bears are trained to take part in their own medical check ups, and a specially designed "sleeve" even allows blood to be drawn, a technique that Neil helped to test out and pioneer in its usage some years ago.

Kulu asks Neil to come play in the water. Neil is too tired.

Handsome Neil. Hang in there, big boy.