Two polar bear tragedies, more heartbreak

March is the month for hope. Spring is coming, flowers are starting to bloom and the future looks bright.  But also, Beware the Ides of March. And really -- all of March.

This year in March, we lost two bears with big personalities, young girl bears that made us smile and had so much promise for bright futures. And now they are gone, Imaq in Denmark and Milk in Japan.

Imaq of Copenhagen, died this month.
She was only four years old

I don't know why the month of March has become a time for losing beloved bears before their time. For whatever reason, mating season, cubs emerge from the den, change in seasons, the stars aligning badly, we have seen too many tragedies in March.

The Nuremburg Four

The polar bear double enclosure at Tiergarten Nuremburg.

March 30, 2000, four female polar bears visiting Tiergarten Nuremburg temporarily from Zoo Karlsruhe were let out by some intruder, and were wandering about in the woods. To protect the public, the zoo decided they had no choice but to shoot them after attempts to tranquilize failed.  Nadine, Silke, and two other bears were killed. Nadine was the mother of Katjuscha and Antonia. Silke was the mother of Anton, grandmother of Wilbaer.  The four lady bears were visiting Nuremburg while the bear habitat in Karlsruhe was being rebuilt. They never got the chance to return home. 

Swimmer

In 2009, tiny Swimmer, emerged from the den with his mother Huggies and his twin brother Walker on that sunny spring day in Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands, and died within the week on March 23, having drowned after blood vessels burst in his chest. In a short time, the world had become enchanted with the videos of little Swimmer and his normal sized brother Walker. Swimmer was about a third the size of his brother, but seemed perfectly healthy. The brothers frolicked at the side of the pool, and Swimmer was just so cute.

Walker and Swimmer were destined for fame, as their birth and early weeks were filmed in the den for David Attenborough's "The Frozen Planet." 

 Here is a link to a story with photos about their first day out.

Huggies with Swimmer and Walker first day out

Then on that Monday, in front of so many visitors, Swimmer was in the pool, went under and did not come up. His mother dove in and brought his body to the shore, and everyone watched while Huggies and Walker grieved for the lost baby.  

Huggies still lives in Ouwehands. Walker lives in Highlands Wildlife Park in Scotland.

Knut

Knut the Dreamer, commemorative sculpture in Zoo Berlin,
by Josef Tabachnyk

Knut, famous cub of the Berlin Zoo who was only 4 years old,  died March 19, 2011, after brain incident, then collapsing into the pool and drowning. It was later found to be encephalitis. 

Knut and his twin brother were born December 6, 2006, to retired circus bear Tosca and father Lars. Tosca abandoned the cubs immediately, and the keepers rushed to save them. The brother died, but Knut rose to worldwide fame with photos and videos of his early life with keeper Thomas Dörflein.

Knut was immensely popular, quite a draw for the zoo. He lived with his keeper, then alone for a time. He was happy when young Giovanna came to live with him, but she left and went back to Munich. Knut then moved in with his mother Tosca and two other lady bears, Nancy and Katjuscha, where he was not terrible happy. On that fateful Saturday, in front an crowds of fans, he started walking in circles while on a rock in the middle of the pool, and then fell in. That was the end of him. An autopsy showed it was an inflammation of the brain, caused by encephalitis.

Now there are no polar bears at the Berlin Zoo. Lars, Tosca, Nancy, Katjuscha and Knut are all gone. But the lovely bronze sculpture of Knut the Dreamer continues to keep watch over the polar bear area.

And Knut continues to be a touchstone for all polar bear lovers, and inspired a community of fans and bloggers that continues to this day. 

Fritz

Fritz, photo by Tierpark Berlin

In Tierpark Berlin, four month old Fritz, son of Tonja and Wolodja, became very ill and died of liver inflammation on  March 7, 2017, breaking many hearts who had seen his adorable photos from the zoo. He seemed perfectly well for most of his short life, and we watched and waited for him to emerge from the den, but after a short illness, he died before he had the chance to venture into the world. 

In 2018, Tonja gave birth to Hertha, named after the Berlin Soccer team. Father Wolodja moved to Rotterdam, but Tonja and Hertha continue to live in Tierpark. 

Tips the Chocolate Bear

Tips of Osnabrück

March 11, 2017, we lost Tips, the beloved chocolate bear of  Osnabruck Germany, leaving behind her twin brother Taps to carry on alone. 

Tips and Taps were born in Zoo Osnabrück, Germany to European Brown Bear mother Susi and Polar Bear father Elvis, who was American born. It was a surprise, as it was thought at the time that polar bears and brown bears could not breed.

The brother and sister, sometimes called the Chocolate Bears, or Hybrid Bears, were a mix of the two parents. The Brown Bear part of Tips wanted to hibernate, unlike polar bears. She spent the winter of 2016-17 denned up, and emerged in early March, hungry, much thinner and able to squeeze through a crack between the bear enclosure and the silver foxes right next door, a crack which seemed impossible. But squeeze through she did, and finding herself outside the enclosure, didn't know what to do. She headed uphill, towards a path leading to the crowded zoo entrance, and the heartbroken keepers felt it was their only choice to shoot her to protect the public.

And now it is just brother Taps who lives in Osnabrück, alone with the silver foxes.

Tips (top) and Taps in 2012.

 Little One and Anana

Little One with Anana

Little One, the oldest male bear in the US at the time, died of old age on March 21, 2021, he was 31 years old. His death was not unexpected, but came on the heels of the news of the death of his beloved mate Anana in Detroit, just weeks before. 

Anana

Anana, who was born in the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City on December 12, 2000, led a life very much like a soap opera. She moved around quite a bit, experienced some romance, and her life was tinged with drama.

Young Anana  moved from Salt Lake City to Buffalo in 2002.  A mate, the handsome wildborn Nanuq, arrived in Buffalo in 2009, but Anana was very reluctant to warm up to him. She finally decided he was okay, and gave birth to cub in December of 2012 but showed no interest in her baby (Luna, still living in Buffalo). Father Nanuq had left Buffalo before the birth, and Anana left right afterwards, moving to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in early 2013.The Buffalo Zoo kept Luna's birth a secret as the keepers raised the little one, and announced it at a dramatic press conference in the spring. 

At Brookfield Zoo, Anana was alternately paired with old Aussie and his son Hudson. No cubs ever resulted from those meetings.

In 2016 Anana returned to the Buffalo Zoo, where her daughter Luna was now mostly grown, but of course she did not know her daughter. Still, Buffalo Zoo fans were delighted to see Anana again. In Anana's absence, the old bear pits she had known had been demolished, and there was a beautiful new double polar bear habitat, spacious and grassy, so she probably didn't even know she was back in Buffalo.

And then in 2016 Anana she was moved to Cincinnati, where hopes were high that she and a fine older male bear named Little One might have cubs. At first, things were off to a rocky start, as they couldn't stand each other. And then one day, after about a year, in a light bulb moment, Anana discovered that she adored Little One, and from then on they couldn't get enough of each other.

Sadly, no cubs resulted from this pairing, however Anana and Little One did have a fulfilling relationship during their three years together.

But Little One was elderly, and it was feared that yet another breeding season would be too hard on him, so Anana said goodbye to her paramour and went to north to Detroit, where gentle Nuka was waiting. And more drama.

She came to Detroit in early 2020, and had a good relationship with Nuka. Then, on that horrible day in February of 2022, she collapsed from previously unknown heart failure.

The two bears were on the ice pack when Anana collapsed, and Nuka tried to wake her by grabbing her head in his mouth, leaving some superficial wounds. Because of this and the blood, it was first thought that Nuka might have killed her in mating attempts. 

Several months later, the autopsy revealed that Anana had died of heart failure, and Nuka was exonerated. But this further news was not well publicized, and most people continued to believe that Nuka was guilty in Anana's death.

The real story was sent out to Detroit Zoo members, and I published that story, that Nuka was innocent, in my blog. The truth was not published anywhere else, so the original story was still what most people believed, even though it was wrong.

When Nuka moved to Toledo, his reputation preceded him, and people were concerned for their mother bear Crystal, but the truth was finally getting out there. Nuka and Crystal had a successful breeding season, and Crystal gave birth to twins.

The gentle Nuka, once falsely accused, has been exonerated. He has since returned to Detroit.

Milk

Milk (Photo by Yasuko Hatano)

Milk, the silly clown of a bear in Japan, was killed in a mating incident at Kushiro Zoo on March 1, 2023.

Ten year old Milk had been getting along just fine with the male, 14 year old Kiruro. On that day, an argument broke out between the two, and escalated. Keepers tried to distract them, using a fire hose. Somehow, Milk's neck was broken. 

Milk was born in Oga Aquarium in 2012, and was a favorite bear of the Japanese public, for she liked to clown around in silly hats, playing with toys in amusing ways, and often standing up like a little person. 

Milk's mother was Kurumi, and her father was Gota, son of Murma and Untai in Moscow. Milk had some well-known  uncles, for Gota is the brother of Rasputin of Tallinn, Kap of Hamburg, and Boris of Skandinavisk Dyrepark. Gota is also the father of two year old Fubuki.

The Kushiro City Zoo where Milk died was inundated with hundreds of bouquets of flowers from the many who mourned the loss of Milk, a very special girl indeed, and the flower tributes continued to pour in all month.

Imaq of Copenhagen

Imaq as a cub in Copenhagen Zoo

And now we have lost four year old Imaq, the delightful cub I met in 2019 in Copenhagen. She was the daughter of Lynn and Nord. In her curiosity in the afternoon of March 8, she broke through a steel gate and found an electrical installation, where she was electrocuted when she chewed on some wires. It was a freak accident, so tragic, and she was so young.

The Copenhagen Zoo is still has Imaq's mother Lynn, as well as Noel and her three year old daughter Inuvik, Imaq's half sister. 

Mother Lynn is the twin sister of Luka of Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Imaq's maternal grandparents are Huggies and the late Victor. Imaq's father Nord (North) was the son of Simona and Wrangel of Moscow. Nord, who died in Finland in 2021, was the father of Nissan, formerly of YWP and now in France, as well as cubs Imaq and Inuk in Aalborg, Beely and Sery of Paira Daiza in Belgium, and the two girls in Copenhagen.

Imaq's death was a freak accident, a sad event that will haunt many of us for a long time. She was a sweet, fun-loving girl. Rest in Peace, angel.

Berit has a very young admirer

 

The lovely Berit, on the right, has an admirer in young Borealis

It is interesting to observe the friendship between the two polar bears at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin. They are 20 years apart. 

Berit is the attractive older lady that young Bo follows around like a puppy dog. You can tell he admires her, and she doesn't discourage his attentions too much.  Bo is three years old, and Berit is 23.

For the past six years, Berit has been something of a babysitter or maybe a nanny, bringing up half grown cubs put into her care.

Berit has always had plenty of companionship. She and her twin brother Ulaq were born in 1998 in Denver and moved to the Cincinnati Zoo when they were about a year and a half.  Sadly, Ulaq died suddenly at the age of 4. But Berit was not alone, for her friend Rizzo, another female, was there.

Berit in back, Rizzo in front, in 2011, Cincinnati Zoo.

And then a few years later, along came a courteous male bear named Little One.  The three polar bears of the Cincinnati Zoo made for a happy threesome. Rizzo was Berit's best friend, and they often took naps together. Little One let the ladies be in charge. 

Rizzo left Cincinnati for Salt Lake City in 2012, and died five years later. So then it was just Berit and Little One in Cincinnati.

Little One eats an ice treat for Valentines Day 2015,
while Berit looks up at the keeper for more, 
at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Late in 2016, there was a three way zoo switch all at the same time. Anana left Buffalo to come to Cincinnati, Sakari left Henry Vilas to move to Buffalo, and Berit moved to Henry Vilas, where Sakari's twin sister Suka remained.

Berit on the left, and young Suka on the right,
at Henry Vilas in the summer of 2017.  

   

So now Berit had young Suka as a playmate. Berit and Suka got along famously. But Suka was growing up, and would be ready to have cubs. Suka moved to Detroit in 2018, where she is now mother of one year old Astra and Laerke.

Young Nuniq in Colubus, just before he moved to Henry Vilas.

Never fear, for a few months later, Suka's nephew Nuniq, not quite two years old, arrived from Columbus, and Berit was again the playmate of a young cub. Again, Berit had a very entertaining companion to keep her feeling young.

In late 2020, Nuniq moved to Kansas City to be companion to old lady Berlin, and Berit was again on her own, but not for long. Within a month, Suka's little brother two year old Borealis arrived from Toledo. Berit had another another bright eyed half grown cub to bring up. By now she is used to it.

Bo nuzzles his lady friend Berit.

Bo is bigger than Berit, but he still looks and acts like a cub. He looks to her for leadership and approval. 

Bo and Berit puzzle over the feeder

On the day I visited in April, the keepers had given the two polar bears a chained ladder puzzle feeder, with lettuce and maybe some other goodies inside. Berit and Bo played tug of war with the ladder, in between finding snacks. Such enrichment keeps the bears busy, and makes them work for their food, as they would in the wild.

Berit has found some snacks. Bo pulls on the chain.

Berit has again found some lettuce. Bo is still looking.

A bit of a tug of war.

Bo tries to figure this thing out.

It is a spacious habitat, and offers a sand pit for digging, right in front of the restaurant windows.

Bo chases Berit around the sand pit, in front of the restaurant windows.

Berit head toward the pit.

Bo heads toward Berit.

 

The view from the restaurant window.

There is plenty of grass in the meadow, and a good sized pool, and Berit has always enjoyed swimming her laps. But she didn't swim on the day I visited. 

It is good enrichment to give the polar bears
 a new environment occasionally. 

During the winter, when the grizzly bear sisters are denned up, the polar bears sometimes take over the neighboring habitat. 

Berit heads inside.

When Berit went inside, Bo would usually follow her, although he sometimes came out again and spent some time on his own.

With Berit inside, Bo is on his own.

Bo by the pool. He cries out to Berit, who is inside.

 At one point he was lounging by the pool, and calling to Berit to come out and join him. She finally did come out, and he got very affectionate with her, even attempting to mount her, but it was past breeding season and he is only three years old, after all. Maybe next year he will be more successful in wooing his older lady.

Bo attempts to get amorous with Berit. She says "what are you doing?"

Is Berit laughing at young Bo's attempts?

Let's kiss and make up. 

It is obvious that the two bears get along well. There probably won't be a pregnancy from this pairing, for Berit was on birth control early in her life, which has likely left her sterile. They do seem happy together.

Bo and Berit make a cute couple.

A little about Henry Vilas Zoo

The zoo was born of a family tragedy. Five year old Henry, son of William and Anna Vilas, died of diabetes complications and his parents donated a large tract of land for a park and zoo in their city of Madison, Wisconsin, in memory of their son in 1904, with the stipulation that the facility must remain free. Whenever I go to this zoo, I think of little Henry, and am grateful for his legacy.

The first bear exhibit was built in 1913. In 1988, two orphaned polar bear cubs, Nanuq and Norton, are were brought to the zoo. Nanuq grew up to become the father of Luna, Nora, Nuniq (who later came to live at Henry Vilas for a time), Neva and Amelia Gray. Norton became the father of Triton, who was the father of Talini. 

 Here are Bo's aunt and uncle, Suka and Sakari, as Arctic Passage celebrated its grand opening in May of 2015. 

Arctic Passage opened in 2015, with Suka and Sakari as the first polar bear residents.

The Henry Vilas Zoo is one of ten remaining free zoos in North America. 

A final farewell to Little One

 

One of my favorite photos of Little One.
He was stealing Berit's heart during Valentine Enrichment back in 2015.

Little One

Such sad news today, from the Cincinnati Zoo. Little One was euthanized this morning, suffering from renal failure. At age 31, he was the oldest male polar bear in the country. He was active up until his final few days, when he seemed to lose interest in his activities and his food.

He was born in Cleveland December 13, 1989, and came to the Cincinnati Zoo in 2007.

His mother was Snowball and his father was Nauyet. Little One's brother Blizzard, born in 1984, was the mate of Snow Lily, and the father of the late Tundra. He died in 2006.

His only living relative is a sister, 29 year old Satuki in Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido Japan.

Little One has enjoyed great companionship over the years, first with Rizzo and Berit, and then with the lovely little Anana.

He was a popular guy at the zoo, with a great many fans who will miss him terribly.

Since Cincinnati is my local zoo, I have visited Little One many times over the years, and have put together a little photo gallery in remembrance of the good times.

Little One enjoyed his enrichment snacks, here a little watermelon.

Berit, now in Wisconsin, and Little One 

Anana, now also gone just in February, and Little One

Little One and Anana in 2018

Little One was very fluffy, and had lots of fur on his feet

Little One on his 31st birthday, last December 13 

In the days when we had three polar bears in the Cincinnati Zoo.
Little One, Rizzo and Berit

Little One and Rizzo in 2012

Rizzo and Little One in 2012

Little One liked his toys at times, 
 especially if someone else wanted to play with them.

Little One peeking through the gate between enclosures

The last time I saw Little One, just last month. It was February 23.
He was out and about and seemed fine.

Rest in Peace, Little One. You were well loved. Now there are no polar bears at the Cincinnati Zoo.

The many loves of Little One

 

Little One cuddles Anana, while she eats.
Who can think of food at a time like this? he asks.

Little One of the Cincinnati Zoo has just turned 31 years old, the oldest male polar bear in this hemisphere. He lives alone now, but for most of his life, he has shared his space with three special ladies. For all his efforts, though, he has never fathered a cub. 

Little One

He was born December 13, 1989 in the Cleveland Zoo to Snowball and Nauyet. His older brother Blizzard was born in 1984 and died in 2005. Blizzard fathered one cub, a son named Tundra, with Snow Lily. Tundra died in 2017. Snow Lily still lives, and is the oldest polar bear, at age 36, in the Western Hemisphere.  

Little One has a sister, now age 29, in Japan. Satsuki has never had cubs. She was born in 1991 and moved to Japan in 2007.

He also had a half sister, Aurora, born in 1982 and died in Cleveland in 2012. She had lived in several other zoos over the years.

Little One lived in Cleveland until he was eight years old. He lived in Silver Springs Maryland for a few months, then returned to Cleveland where he stayed for another ten years. I don't know anything about his love life during those Cleveland years. For some of that time, his half sister Aurora also lived in Cleveland. 

Pumpkin time at the Cincinnati Zoo

At the beginning of January in 2007 he came to Cincinnati, where he met 8 year old Berit and 10 year old Rizzo. 

In the days of the Three Bears in Lords of the Arctic

Rizzo, a pretty round fluffy girl, was Little One's favorite. He liked Berit well enough, but they were just friends. 

Rizzo and Litle One

The two girls, however, really were best friends, and often took naps together, preferring each other's company unless it was springtime breeding season.

Berit and Rizzo sleeping in December of 2011. They were best friends

Little One and Rizzo

In 2012, Rizzo was moved to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City where there was a brand new enclosure, and they really wanted a polar bear. Rizzo lived there alone until her death in 2017. 

Berit and Little One

After Rizzo left the Cincinnati Zoo, Little One took another look at Berit, and thought she looked pretty good. So during breeding season, they would play courtship games and splash in the water. Still, no cubs. 

Little One steals Berit's heart on Valentine's Day

Little One and Berit

Berit and Little One

The folks at the Species Survival Plan thought they would shake things up, and in the spring of 2016 moved Berit to Madison Wisconsin, bringing in a female who had already produced a cub, Anana, from Buffalo. 

In 2012,  Anana had given birth to Luna, who was raised by keepers because Anana was not a good mother. Anana had spent some time in Brookfield Zoo while a new polar bear facility was built in Buffalo, then returned to Buffalo for a time, before coming to Cincinnati.

 
                              Little One watches Anana from a distance.

Anana and Little One did not hit it off at first. For their first year, they showed a great dislike toward each other, grufting and growling when the other one got to close. They mostly avoided each other.

                      The confrontation. Alana on shore and Little One in the water.

Maybe Little One was missing his old comfortable companion Berit. Maybe Anana was a little too pushy for him. In any case, it was like oil and water. The breeding season of the spring of 2017 came and went. Spring and Summer and Fall passed by. 

Little One wants Anana's attention.

And then, like a light switch being turned on, Little One and Anana seemed to fall in love.

In the spring of 2018 they were the lovebirds of the Cincinnati Zoo. In the fall and winter, everyone waited to see if Anana would have cubs. But no. There were no cubs that year.

Love bites for Anana

Breeding season arrived again in the spring of 2019. Little One followed Anana around like a puppy dog. Volunteers with clipboards documented their every move. Cameras watched them at night. Everyone was hopeful once again. Zookeepers got her a smaller box for the den because that was supposed to help. More volunteers watched the den cam. Local news stations posted updates. 

Anana flirts with Little One

Anana and Little One

Anana and Little One

Mr. and Mrs. Anana

Anana asks Little One to come into the pool with her

Little One loves Anana

And then we were all let down again when Anana emerged from her den. 

After that, it was decided that Little One was just getting too old for all the excitement and exertion of another breeding season. Anana was packed off to Detroit, where there is a another female, Suka, and a 16 year old male named Nuka, who is considered fertile. 

Little One on his birthday

Little One has been alone since last January. He was very active, out and about, when Anana lived in Cincinnati. Now he mostly sleeps in the pile of straw behind his rock, sometimes takes a swim, sometimes lumbers around the enclosure.

His keepers say he is doing fine for his age, no major problems. He has lost weight, and sleeps a lot. They let him do what he wants, when he wants to. They say he actually prefers living alone now.

His favorite foods are peanuts, his polar bear chow, and fish. He got some mackerel for his 31st birthday, but there wasn't a party planned. He would probably sleep through it anyway.

He has toys, recently a new giant pickle. But he doesn't really play anymore. He did play when Anana was here. They would spend hours in the pool, splashing and teasing each other.

Little One on his birthday, December 13. There's that pickle he never plays with.

He is more active in the morning, although some have caught him awake in the early afternoon.

And when he dreams, does he dream of his past loves? Berit, Rizzo and Anana.

Little One in July of 2020, yawning, probably ready for another nap