Farewell to Katjuscha

 

Katjuscha

Katjuscha

It is the end of an era. The Berlin Zoo polar bear habitat's probably final resident, 37 year old Katjuscha, has passed away. She had been suffering from a heart ailment for some time, and had been treated for it, but now, the oldest polar bear in the world had come to the end of her days. She was found by her keepers, in her den, on Christmas Eve morning, it was announced today. She had peacefully died in her sleep.

Kati, during her afternoon walk. 

She had turned 37 years old November 16, and she was given a small party with a treat.

She was known for her beauty and grace. Visitors would often see her just sitting in the doorway, watching the world go by.

Katjuscha, watching the world go by

Last year, there were two other lady polar bears in the world who had reached the age of 36: Snow Lily in Milwaukee, and Winnie in Japan, both just several weeks younger than Katjuscha. Now all three are all gone.

Kati at teatime, in 2014.

Katjuscha was born in 1984 in Zoo Karlsruhe, the daughter of Nadine and Willie. Nadine and Willie were also the parents, five years later, of Antonia, the famous dwarf polar bear. Also in 1989, Willie became the father of Nancy, one of Katjuscha's lifelong companions in the Berlin Zoo, and also Anton, father of Wilbär.

Tosca in front, Katjuscha in the middle,
 and Nancy, top, sleeping, in 2014.

 

Katjuscha came to Berlin when she was almost a year old, and remained there all her life. At one time, she was part of Lars' harem, the three ladies of the Berlin Zoo: Nancy, Tosca and Kati. The four bears made for quite a sight for Berlin Zoo visitors.

Katjuscha in 2014, the fluffy one.

Tosca and Lars' son, the famous Knut, was part of the group for a short time too, after Lars left, until  young Knut died from a brain disease which tragically caused him to fall into the water and drown.

Katjuscha watching Nancy and Tosca from her doorway.

After that sad event, it was just the three ladies of  the Berlin Zoo. Tosca and Nancy seemed to be best friends, and Katjuscha was on her own. We lost Tosca and Nancy a few years ago, but Kati continued on, well past the expected age of a polar bear.

Katjuscha in her kingdom in 2019

Now she is gone too, and the polar bear area is empty, save for the nearby memorial sculpture of Knut. 

It is truly the end of an era.

Rest in Peace, sweet lady.

The beautiful Katjuscha is 36 today

 

It is rare for a polar bear to reach the age of 36, but Katjuscha of the Berlin Zoo is celebrating that milestone today. She is the oldest polar bear in a European zoo. I don't know of any polar bears in the world who are older. There is a lady bear in the Milwaukee County Zoo in the U.S., Snow Lily, who is two weeks younger than Katjuscha.

Katjuscha does have a younger sister, born in 1989, Antonia the famous dwarf polar bear who now lives in Gelsenkirchen. Their parents were mother Nadine of Karlsruhe, and father Willie, who lived in the Berlin Zoo but would come to Karlsruhe during breeding season to visit the girls. 

Most of these photos are from my last visit with Katjuscha, in May of 2019. She was active, roaming around her enclosure at the Berlin Zoo and having a fine time on a lovely Spring day. She often takes a swim, but she did not during my most recent visit. When I came back in the afternoon to check on her, she was sleeping.

My friend Ralph visited her in September, just two months ago, and reported that she spent much of her time swimming. Here is a link to his report in Knuti's Weekly. 

Ralph visits Katjuscha in Berlin

Kati does like to roam around and patrol her enclosure, check things out. She has some arthritis, but it doesn't stop her from being a very active senior bear.

Katjuscha tends to wander in and out of her door, and sometimes naps there. She has lived alone for a few years now, since the death of Tosca and then Nancy. She seems to like being on her own. Nancy and Tosca had always teamed up as best friends, and Katjuscha was left out anyway.

When I visited Berlin in 2014, Katjuscha invited me to a tea party at the enclosure, with bread rolls served daintily upon her paw.

Back in 2014, Tosca and Katjuscha's sister Nancy would play together, and even lick ears. Katjuscha was left on her own. She has always liked to sit in the door and watch the rest of the world go by.

Tosca, Katjuscha and Nancy in Berlin in 2014.

During my visit in 2015, Kati went into the water and played with a blue ball. She had a great time, just like a cub.

Kati gets a snack of some meat and fish. She does like her snacks. This was in 2015.

Happy Birthday Katjuscha!

 I hope you get some good snacks today!

My Quest to meet Boris- Part 2

Boris

I had come over halfway across the country, to the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington, with a very special goal, to see Boris, who at nearly 33 years of age, is the oldest male polar bear in the U.S.

Boris, the oldest male polar bear in the U.S. zoos

On my first day visiting the zoo, I got to talk with Sheridan, the polar bear keeper at Point Defiance, took a look at where Boris lives, and found out who his neighbors are. I spent some time with the arctic foxes, the Musk Oxen, companion polar bear Blizzard, who is 10 years younger than Boris, the puffins and the walruses. But the old guy I had come so far to see had spent his day inside, playing with his toys in the indoor pool and sleeping. Boris, in his elderly state, is not allowed out on Thursdays, it seems, since that is the day they drain, clean and refill the pool.

Churchill of Rostock, father of Boris

Boris is the firstborn son of the late Churchill in Rostock, Germany. Boris came into the world on December 15, 1985 under the stork's nest of the old Castle at the Rostock Zoo. Boris' mother was Kara, Churchill's half sister. Kara was also sister of Lisa, mother of Lars and Knut's grandmother. The father of all three, Churchill, Kara and Lisa, was Olaf Wildfang. Zoos were not very strict about the studbook in those days, as evidenced by the family tree of Lars as well.

The late Tosca, one of the other German circus bears,
 became mother of Knut

In those days, in Europe and in the U.S., polar bear births in zoos were more common, and with more cubs, there wasn't always a zoo that could take the cubs when it was time to leave their mothers. Those were different times. Sadly, 18 month old Boris was sold into the East German circus system, and spent many years traveling and performing with Wilhelm, Tosca, Kenneth and other polar bears under the training of a tiny German woman known as the Polar Bear Princess, Ursula Böttcher. Ursula loved her bears and treated them humanely, but the traveling circus life was never easy for the bears.

After German Reunification, without the state subsidies for the East German circuses, everything changed. By the late 1990s, the performers had retired or gone elsewhere, and the circus assets were sold off. Tosca went to the Berlin Zoo, where she lived with Boris' cousin Lars and became mother of the famous Knut. A male polar bear named Tromsö, now 29, still lives in the Amnéville Zoo in France. But at the time, in the late 1990s, with a bigger zoo polar bear population than now, zoos wanted bears that could breed and provide cute little cubs. The male circus bears had been castrated so they would not fight with the other bears, so zoos were not anxious to take them.

Sadly, the bears who were not taken in by European zoos were sold to the Suarez Brothers Circus in Mexico, where the conditions were hot and terrible. The bears were poorly fed on dog food, white bread and lettuce, and they had cramped quarters and no pools, no way to cool off. Wilhelm took a swipe at a trainer, and in response, he was declawed.

Polar bear keeper Sheridan with some lettuce for Boris at Point Defiance Zoo.

A Canadian couple visiting Mexico saw the circus, and filmed the pathetic bears performing. They brought attention to the plight of the polar bears in the Mexican circus and the suffering animals were were rescued in late 2002 in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico by U.S. Officials. One of the six bears died during transport. The other bears were in pretty bad shape, including Kenny and Boris, who were flown to the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington. There the two bears were given extensive dental treatment and medical care, good nutrition, and lots of love.

Boris watches Sheridan go, hoping for more lettuce

It is now 2018, and all the others have died, Kenny in 2012, but Boris carries on. I decided I needed to visit him before it was too late.

Boris steps down from the rock perch, to head for the water bowl

So on my second day in the Seattle area, I arose in the dark, again rode buses for hours, and climbed through the fog up the hill once again to the zoo entrance. First stop was to try to see Boris. Sheridan, the polar bear keeper I had talked to the day before, had informed Boris that he would have a special visitor and he was to be on his best behavior. As I came into the viewing building, I could see that Boris was there, atop the left rock platform, munching away on lettuce being thrown to him by Sheridan from the other side of the fence. At this time of year, he gets six pounds of food a day, to maintain his weight at 911 pounds. His favorite food is lettuce, maybe because of his familiar diet during his Mexican circus days. Less weight means less strain on his old arthritic bones. By the way, Boris does NOT like melon.

Boris had some abscesses on his foot,  which you can see here.
 He walks very slowly and carefully these days.

Boris is craggy and majestic in his old age, just like his father Churchill was, but Boris is a gentle giant, whereas Churchill was banished from the company of other polar bears for his aggression. 

Boris resembles his father Churchill, but with more gentleness

Boris' circus days are long behind him, but he did put on a “show” just for me. It was more like a royal audience.

Boris slowly makes his way

He climbed down from his rock, slowly and gingerly lumbered toward me so I could get a good look. Boris is not fond of the uneven river-stone rocks in the enclosure, but that was the material used at the time of construction in 1982. I wished he could have some grass to roll upon.

Boris walks carefully on the riverstone floor

Boris has recently had root canals for his poor old teeth. Last spring he underwent experimental and revolutionary stem cell treatment for his arthritis. This had never been done before with polar bears, and seemed to give him some relief. The experiment was repeated this summer, but the results the second time were disappointing, but he is getting medication for his arthritis. He is also receiving eye drops several times a day.

Boris weighs in at 911 pounds these days.

On this morning, Boris had several abscesses on his right front paw that had ruptured earlier, so there were streaks of blood on his paw. The vet would be keeping an eye on that.

Boris still likes his toys. I can imagine him balancing balls in his circus days.

Boris paused to play for a few moments with the blue ball.

Click on the link for the Video:

Boris the old circus bear plays with the blue ball

The keepers change out his toys regularly, to keep him interesting in playing.

The old circus bear slowly made his way over to the big yellow bowl of fresh water, and had a few sips.

Fresh water in the bowl. The swimming pool is filled with saltwater.

Boris takes a sip. Note the blood on his paw from the broken abscess.

Chewing lettuce makes Boris foam at the mouth a bit.

And then Blizzard joined the party. The younger bear quickly took control of the blue ball, grabbing it in his moth and running off with it, climbing up to the right side rock resting place. Boris seemed not to mind.

Click on the link for the video of Boris walking, ever so slowly. 

Video: Boris walking and Blizzard with the ball

Blizzard at the right takes control of the ball.

   Boris lingered by the yellow bowl, then strolled carefully over to the left side rock platform, climbing up ever so slowly. You can tell that he's an old bear, just by the way he walks.

Boris has had enough. He makes his way toward the exit.

Boris heads for the hills

He pauses a moment on the rock platform. 

This is  what you see  from one of the two viewing rooms. You can step down into a second viewing chamber which gives visitors an underwater look at the bears playing in the pool, although that did not happen during my visit.
 Boris is on the left, and Blizzard is on the right.

After a few minutes rest atop the flat rock, he decided that the public audience was over, made his way down, and took his exit. I was lucky enough to enjoy about an hour with His Majesty.

Boris makes his exit towards the indoor pool
 and a nice soft pile of hay for his nap.

Younger bear Blizzard continued to hold court atop the right hand rock, but there was to be no swimming that day. In the autumn, bears slow down. They eat less, move less, play less.

Blizzard toys with the blue ball.

Sheridan, the keeper, told me that Boris was free to come and go, but he would probably not come out again for the rest of the day. I did check every few hours, but it was just Blizzard, and he was mostly napping.

Boris on his throne

Although it was only for an hour, I was happy to have seen Boris, at last. Thanks, Boris, for coming out just for me. To me, you are European Royalty.