The loss of Hope

Young Hope at Marineland

We just received the terrible news of Hope's passing during a dental procedure at Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park. The daughter of Flocke and Raspi, she would have been 11 years old in November.

Flocke and Baby Hope in 2015

Flocke and Hope in 2015

Hope at 5 months in Marineland

Hope seemed to have lead a charmed life. She was a beloved new arrival at Marineland on the French Riviera when the famous Flocke gave birth back in 2014. Because Flocke was raised by her keepers, some doubted that she would have the mothering instinct, but Flocke turned out to be an exemplary mother.

Hope and Flocke in 2017

Hope  grew up adored by so many, and lived in a magical place. She even had a snow grotto, which she loved to roll around in with her mom Flocke. 

Flocke and Hope in the ice grotto

Dad Raspi was curious about his daughter and she was also interested in what Raspi was doing. It was a lovely family and there was always something fun going on.

Hope visits with Daddy Raspi

Flocke and Hope in 2017

Hope and Flocke in 2016

In 2018 Hope was three years old, and moved to Orsa Bear Park in Sweden, where she lived in a snowy wilderness with Eva and Wilbär. There she gave birth to twin boys in 2021, Nannok and Noori. 

Hope's father Raspi moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, then to Tallinn Estonia, and is now in Aalborg Denmark. After Raspi moved from YWP, Flocke and her triplets moved from Marineland to Doncaster to the same enclosure Raspi had occupied, far from the bachelor group. Sadly, Marineland eventually closed, but the bears had already moved.

Drama for Hope and the other polar bears in Orsa ensued when the Park was announced to be closing, and after some scrambling to find the bears a new home, Hope and her boys were sent to Peak Wildlife Park in the UK. Ewa moved to Jimmy's, and Wilbär moved to Ouwehands.

The boys Nannok and Noori stayed behind at Peak Wildlife Park when Hope moved to Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park last year, where Hope was reunited with her mother Flocke, and also her old friend Ewa. Hope met her younger sister Tala there too. The other two of Flocke's triplets, the boys Indie and Yuma, live in YWP in Doncaster.

Hope was a lovely bear. It was nice that she could be reunited with her mother and meet her sister. The family partly back together again. We will all miss sweet Hope.

Hope in Marineland

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.

Crystal a lady in waiting

Crystal

 

Crystal, mother or grandmother of every US zoo polar bear cub born in the past nine years,  may not be shutting down the nursery just yet.  While Marty, her lifetime mate and father of all her seven children,  may have died last November, she welcomed a new temporary companion in Nuka, and reports of mating last spring have raised hopes that Crystal (nearly 24 years old), may give birth this fall. After all, the late Uslada of Leningrad Zoo in St. Petersburg, Russia, gave birth to her final cub (of 17) when she was 26 years old.

So far, Crystal is the mother of seven cubs, and grandmother of another seven. And Nuka is known to be fertile.

Nuka is the father of Crystal's daughter Suka's twins in the Detroit Zoo. Since one of the twins, Laerke, needed to be raised separately, it was felt that moving Nuka to Toledo last winter would give Suka and her twins the space they needed.

Nuka in the Detroit Zoo last fall.
He was behind the scenes when I visited Toledo last week.

Currently Nuka and Crystal are being kept separate, and only Crystal was out on the day I visited, Nuka has his days in the public eye too and the Toledo Zoo has large areas in the back, so whichever bear is not in the public enclosure has plenty of space.

The plan is for Nuka to return to the Detroit Zoo when Astra, the twin being raised by her mother, is weaned, and the two young girl cubs can be introduced. Then Nuka could be brought back to live with Suka in the coming months. After the twin girls are reunited, they may move to another zoo together.

Nuka's twin daughters, Astra (back) and Laerke, in October of
 last year.  They are also granddaughters of Crystal.

A docent confirmed that Crystal has been putting on weight recently. Her fur looks perfect. Don't be surprised if she starts denning up soon, which is normal for female polar bears, even if they are not pregnant.

Crystal is an immigrant bear. She was born in Monde Sauvage, Aywaille, Belgium on November 10, 1998 to parents Saskia and Orca  Also in Monde Sauvage was Crystal's five year old sister Blanche, who still lives there.

When Crystal was about a year and a half old, she was flown across the Atlantic Ocean to Toledo, Ohio, where there was a beautiful new polar bear habitat with a saltwater pool, the Arctic Encounter. Awaiting her arrival was a young male bear, born in Brookfield Zoo in 1996, named Marty. The next year, another female, wildborn Nan, born in 1994, arrived.

Nan in 2014 Toledo Zoo

The  autumn of 2006 saw both female bears at the Arctic Encounter giving birth. Crystal had twin daughters, Aurora and Anana (now in Columbus), and Nan gave birth to a son, Nikita (now in Hogle Zoo). 

Siku and his mom Crystal in 2010.

2009 brought the birth of Crystal's son Siku (now in Lincoln Park, Chicago.)

Crystal nursing Sakari and Suka in 2013.

The cubs just kept coming for Crystal. In 2012 she gave birth to twins, a boy named Sakari (now in Buffalo) and a girl named Suka (now in Detroit). 

Crystal with her twins Sakari and Suka in 2013.

Daughter Hope (now in Brookfield) was born in 2015.

Crystal and daughter Hope in 2016

Crystal's most recent cub, Borealis or Bo (now in Henry Vilas, Madison Wisconsin), will be three years old in a few months.

Crystal nursing Baby Borealis in 2019

 Will there be another cub born at the end of 2022? Crystal isn't telling.

Crystal also has 7 grandchildren. Aurora in Columbus is the mother of Nora (now in Oregon Zoo), twins Nuniq (now in KC) and Neva (now in Hogle Zoo), and Kulu (now in Como Zoo). Anana is mom to Amelia Gray (now in Oregon Zoo).

Aurora with youngest cub Kulu in 2020 in Columbus.

 Suka in Detroit is mother to twins, almost two years old, Astra and Laerke.

Suka with one of her twins, Astra, in Detroit last week.

Crystal's longtime companion Nan has moved on from the Toledo Zoo too, and is living in Como Zoo in St. Paul, with Crystal's son Kulu, and another older bear, Neil.

Nan, left, looking out for Crystal's grandson Kulu,
 in Como Zoo, St. Paul, in April of 2022

Sisters Aurora and Anana, who have no male bear with them currently in Columbus, underwent Artificial Insemination last March, and Aurora has already denned up. Polar Bear AI has not been successful so far, so this would be a first if she does give birth.

Aurora and Anana in Columbus in 2011.

And what of Crystal's relatives in Belgium? Her sister Blanche will turn 29 years old in December. Blanche lives with her daughter Qannik, who is almost 12 in Monde Sauvage. This year, a male bear named Nanuk (son of Cora of Zoo Brno) arrived from the Mykolaiv Zoo in Ukraine, shortly before the war broke out there. Nanuk's previous mate Zefirka and their daughter Smetanka are still in that warzone zoo, and we all think hopeful thoughts for these two bears.  

Crystal's sister Blanche is also mother of 21 year old Nanok, of Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Denmark, where he fathered Danish Siku, born in 2011 and handraised, and also twins Nuno and Nanu, born in 2012. Nuno is a new mother of twins born this last winter in Skandinavisk Dyrepark.  Nanu lives in France. Siku still lives with his father in Denmark.

Nanok of Denmark, son of Crystal's sister Blanche,
 first cousin of Crystal's children.

Danish Siku is one year older than twins Nuno and Nanu in Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Denmark. They are grandchildren of Crystal's sister Blanche, and first cousins, once removed, of Crystal's American children.