Farewell to Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria, on her throne by the window in Aalborg.

Victoria, 28, was let go on Tuesday, May 20, in Highland Wildlife Park, following struggles with age related health problems.

Victoria with Wee Hamish.
He is a very large bear now, living in YWP.

She will forever be remembered as the first mother polar bear to share her time raising a cub with the world through the first public dencam while at Aalborg Zoo. Many of us watched Victoria tenderly care for newborn cub Milak during the winter of  2008-09. 

Victoria was also a TV star, featured on Denmark's Channel 2's annual Christmas Calendar series, where she guarded the precious jewel in the grotto in one episode.

Victoria and daughter Milak in 2012

Victoria started out as a German girl, the first of the six "V" cubs born in Rostock to Churchill and Vienna. She lived for years as a Danish lady in Aalborg Zoo, dubbed Queen Victoria for her penchant for regally sitting on her "throne" in front of the top window, receiving her subjects. For the last third of her life, she was a Scottish lass in the Highlands, enjoying a spacious natural habitat, the wild winds, and the deep snow in winter. 

Victoria was often smiling.

Victoria was put to sleep at age 28, having arthritis and other health problems associated with old age, but still roaming around her habitat during her last weeks. 

Victoria in HWP in 2018

Victoria was born December 12, 1996 in Rostock, and came to Aalborg when she was two years old, then spent a few months in Duisberg, then back to Aalborg, where she lived with another lady bear Malik, who is still there. A gentleman bear named Felix came from Nuremburg, where he had fathered the famous Flocke. In Aalborg, gentle Felix had two lady friends: Victoria and Malik. Victoria gave birth to daughter Milak (although she was thought to be a boy for nearly four years) on December 7, 2008. 

Milak and Victoria in Aalborg in 2011

Felix went back to Nuremburg, but the following year, Malik gave birth to Augo, also thought to be a boy but actually a girl. 

Mother Victoria gives a little nip to daughter Milak

Victoria was a good mother to Milak, until she decided she had had enough, and turned on Milak, driving her away. It was a tricky time in Aalborg, for there were two mothers with cubs one year apart, and the habitat could be divided into two areas, but Victoria wanted nothing to do with a very distressed Milak.

In 2012, Victoria turned on her cub Milak, and drove her away.

The solution was give Victoria her own space, and let Milak be playmate to younger Augo, along with Malik. The two cubs were so happy to be together, and never got tired of playing with each other. Sadly, Augo died after a terrible fall in May of 2013. Near the end of 2014, Milak, who was known to be female by that time, moved to St. Felicien in Canada, where she had a son, Shouka.

Victoria

Victoria moved to Highland Wildlife Park in 2015, near Kingussie, where she was provided with a companion during breeding season, Arktos. Most of the time, Arktos is with his longtime friend Walker. Victoria's habitat was at a distance from the boys' habitat.

Victoria at the window.

HWP was much different from Aalborg, which was well designed with smooth river rocks, but no grass. At Aalborg, Victoria enjoyed watch people through the many windows in Aalborg, especially from her throne at the top window. Victoria did not spend a lot of time in the pool while in Aalborg, preferring the land. 

Victoria greeting the children.

 In Scotland, the habitat was all natural. People were at a distance and she had a vast rolling meadow with a natural pool in which to swim.

Victoria in the pool at HWP with Wee Hamish.

Victoria with Wee Hamish, shakes it off.

When Victoria was denned up with Milak in Aalborg, she could hear cars on the back road behind the zoo, and lots of chatter from the visitors, noises from the neighboring animals, especially the peacocks. Keepers, as well as the public, could see exactly what she was doing. But in Scotland, in the winter Victoria was tucked away in a remote den with no one to check on her, no one to even be sure she had given birth except through a listening device. 

At HWP, she gave birth to Wee Hamish on December 18, 2017. He stayed in Scotland until 2020 when he moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, where he lives in a bachelor group.

                                   Wee Hamish hugs his mom Victoria

After a reunion with Arktos during breeding season, Victoria had Brodie on December 13, 2021. He is still in Scotland, and even though he is past age three, Victoria had not driven him away. 

I remember Victoria as a gentle, sweet bear, as she was that way with people. I fed her figs and grapes, and she would sit like a puppy, waiting for her snack.

                                       I got to feed some figs to Victoria

 However, she was more harsh with other bears, according to her longtime keeper Frank in Aalborg Zoo. Victoria liked people, but wasn't as fond of other bears. In Aalborg, she liked nothing more than sitting on her throne, watching the people and the occasional dog go by. In the Highlands, she wasn't close to the public, but I am sure she created strong bonds with her keepers, who will miss her greatly. I know I will. 

                                                         Victoria and Hamish

I had hoped to make it back to HWP to see her again. Now I will just have to remember her as regal Victoria, Queen of all she surveyed. 

                                           Rest in Peace, dear Victoria

Happy Mother's Day to Crystal, Gerda and Victoria

 Of course all polar bear mothers deserve appreciation, especially on Mother's Day. But this story will focus on the new moms who gave birth last November and December, even though we didn't hear about Victoria's secret surprise until just a few weeks ago. 

Kallu and Kallik  - photo by the Toledo Zoo.

Crystal

In December news came of  the birth of twins in the Toledo Zoo, to veteran mother Crystal and her companion Nuka. The cubs were born on November 11, but kept secret for a few weeks, announced on December 1. For a time, it seemed like those might be the only cubs born worldwide in a zoo this year.  And there was a public dencam so we could watch the babies grow. Interestingly enough, one of the cubs was much larger than the other.

We later learned that the twins are boys, given the names Kallik and Kallu (Thunder and Lightning). Little Kallik has recently caught up and now is almost as big as his brother. It has been observed that the little one has grown into the bolder and braver brother, the first to take to the pool inside, and willing to wander away from mother for longer periods. Kallu, the bigger brother, was quite hesitant to step into the kiddie pool, and his little brother kept trying to persuade him, maybe even giving him a little push sometimes. Now, both brothers seem comfortable in the water.

The Toledo Twins were make their public debut on Friday, April 28, and everyone was so excited. However, when the big day came, the boys were intimidated by the bigger space outside, and wanted to play with their toys in the familiar areas of the dig yard and inside pool room. The interior dencam was turned back on, so the fans could see that the cubs were fine. Their public debut was rescheduled for the following Friday, May 5, and this time the cubs were ready and raring to go.

Crystal and her cubs - Photo by the Toledo Zoo.

Crystal is already the mother of twins Aurora and the late Anana, son Siku, twins Suka and Sakari, daughter Hope and son Borealis, all with the late Marty as the father. Crystal is also the grandmother of seven cubs.

Crystal with her cubs in the den, dencam photo

The father of Kallik and Kallu is Nuka, who is also the father of 2 year old twin girls in Detroit, with the mother being Crystal's grown daughter Suka. Papa Nuka is now back in Detroit.

Nuka (my photo)

For several months, we all thought that Crystal's twins might be the only cubs born in a zoo worldwide. But there were two other mothers who were denned up with little ones after having secretly given birth in December. 

Gerda and her daughters. (photo by оксана калинина)

Gerda

In early February, we learned that Gerda in Novosibirsk in Siberia, Russia had given birth to twins on December 16. These cubs made their public debut in the middle of March, with much snow still on the ground. We have learned that these twins are girls, but no names have been announced yet. There is a naming contest. The father is Kraisin,  better known to his friends as Kai.

Gerda is an experienced mother, having raised Shilka (who now lives in Japan), Rostik (who was sent to China), and twins Shauna and Nordi, a girl and a boy, who are now about four years old and living somewhere behind the scenes in the Novosibirsk Zoo. Gerda is a grandmother, since Shilka has a two year old daughter Ho-chan.

Gerda was born in Moscow in 2007 to Simona and Wrangel. She is sister to Vera, mother of the famous Flocke, Gerda's grandmother was Uslada of St. Petersburg, who was the mother of 16 cubs so there are many cousins throughout Europe and Russia.

Victoria's cub - Photo by Hagenbeck Zoo

Victoria

Because the European polar bear breeding program has been a little too successful, and there is a shortage of suitable zoo homes, there has been a halt to breeding, with many of the bears moved to all girl or all boy groups. So we expected there would be no cubs in Europe this season.

But at the very end of April, we had a surprise. Victoria and Kap of Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg Germany produced a mysterious secret cub born December 19. This cub still has no name, we don't know if it is a boy or girl yet, and the cub is still not in the public eye.

Victoria in 2014 (with Blizzard)

At 20 years of age, Victoria is an older lady who had never given birth up until now, so of course everyone thought that a cub was out of the question. Older lady bears can become mothers, of course, but almost always they have had cubs before. Victoria had been for many years with Blizzard, who was later found to be sterile. Then Kap arrived in the spring of 2020, but still no cubs, until now. This is a first cub for Kap too, who has spent much of his life alone in Neumünster, then a short time in Karlsruhe, where I finally met him. Kap is half brother of Raspi, and several other bears. 

Kap when I visited him in Karlsruhe in 2017

Victoria's genes are especially valuable since she isn't related to other bears. Her mother Fanny gave birth to Victoria in Hagenbeck, and Victoria lived there most of her life except for a short stay in Zoo am Meer in Bremerhaven, while the zoo was building the new walrus-polar bear-penguin complex.

Fanny did have another cub, Victoria's older brother named Charly, who lived out his life in SeaWorld San Diego, and died in 2012. 

Victoria is the product of several generations of inbreeding, as zoos were not so careful in those days. One again, it is a miracle that she had this cub.

European polar bear cubs usually start appearing in public in mid-March. So why is the Hagenbeck cub still behind the scenes? My theory is that the enclosure, while fairly new, was not designed with young cubs in mind, being rocky and sort of steep. There is limited space for visitors who want to see the bears. The complex, made for polar bears, penguins and walruses, gave much more emphasis to the walruses, and most polar bear fans are disappointed in the new enclosure.

Mother Victoria and the keepers may be waiting for the cub to mature a bit more before letting it wander around the rocky habitat. There seems to be a pool accessible to the cub at the top, for there is a video with the cub swimming in the background, and I believe there is a flat area up there, but it is out of sight from visitors. The cub is about five months old, so hopefully he or she will make a public debut before too long, and we will learn a bit more.

The Hagenbeck polar bear enclosure. - my photo

Happy Mother's Day to all the polar bear mothers. I hope to visit Crystal and her little family one day very soon, and maybe make a trip to Hamburg to see Victoria and her offspring too.

Here is who had polar bear cubs this year!

The little girls in Rostock - photo courtesy of Zoo Rostock 

Happy International Polar Bear Day on February 27!

We have had news of eight cubs born in zoos in November and December. The cubs will make their public debuts sometime in the spring, but for now, they are still denned up with their mothers. We know the Rostock cubs are girls, and the twins in Skandinavisk Dyrepark are girls as well. Victoria's baby is a boy. No news on the others just yet.

Rostock, Germany

 In Rostock, Germany, there is currently a naming contest for the twin girls born to Sizzel and Akiak on November 14. Both are first time parents.

Sizzel in Rostock

Sizzel and her twin brother Todz were born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2014 to Olinka and Eric. Olinka's father Omaha was born to Olaf and Olga in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska, so Sizzel is closely related to a number of US bears. 

Akiak in Rostock

Akiak and his twin sister Sura were born in Ouwehands in the Netherlands in 2015, to Freedom and the late Victor (one of the "V" cubs from Rostock). Freedom's grandmother CW was born in Memphis, so these cubs are cousins of some US polar bears through Akiak as well.  

Orsa in Sweden

First time mother Hope gave birth to twins, fathered by Wilbär, in Orsa Predator Park in Sweden on November 20. This news came about the same time that the park announced it will be closing in October. 

Hope is the daughter of Flocke and Raspi, and was born in 2014 in Marineland in Antibes France.

Hope in 2017 in France

Wilbär was born in 2007 in the Wilhelma in Stuttgart, Germany, the son of the late Corinna and Anton. Wilbär is the father of Miki, born last year to mother Ewa at the park.

Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Denmark

First time parents Nuno and Boris/Ivan had twin daughters in Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Kolind Denmark on December 12.

Nuno on right, playing with older brother Siku.

Nuno and her twin brother Nanu were born in Kolind in 2012 to the late Ilka and the late Nanook. These new cubs have cousins in the US, for Nuno's grandmother CW was born in the Memphis Zoo, and her grandmother Blanche is sister to Crystal of Toledo Ohio.

Boris / Ivan in Copenhagen

Boris/Ivan was born in 2005 in the Moscow Zoo to the late Murma and the late Untai, so he is brother to Raspi, Gota, and Kap, among others.  He is officially named Boris, but was given the name Ivan by the Danish zoos.

Asahikawa Japan 

Pirika and Hokuto (Ludvik) in Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa Japan had triplets on December 13, but as is so often the case, only one survived, but it is doing well. 

Pirika was born in 2005, the daughter of Lara and Denali. Pirika is first cousin of five US bears, as her father Denali was born in Salt Lake City and is the brother of the late Anana (mother of Luna) and the late Aurora (mother of Lee, Anana, Haley and Anoki).

Hokuto was born in Moscow in 2000, son of Amderma and Yukon, brother of Gogo. He has lived in Japan most of his life. 

HWP in Scotland 

Victoria and Arktos in Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland have had another cub. The birth was announced on December 16, but had taken place a few days before. They are parents of Wee Hamish, born in 2017 and now living in Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Victoria is also the mother of Milak, born in Aalborg Denmark in 2008 and now living in St. Felicien in Canada.

Victoria in Aalborg

Victoria was born in 1996 in Rostock, Germany, one of the "V" cubs born to Churchill and Vienna. She lived in Aalborg, Denmark, for many years before coming to Scotland in 2015.

Victoria with Wee Hamish in 2018 in Scotland

Arktos was born in 2007 in Vienna to Olinka and Eric. He lived in Hannover Germany for several years, then came to Highland Wildlife Park in 2012, where he lives most of the year with his best friend Walker.  Arktos' grandfather Omaha was born in the Henry Doorly Zoo to Olaf and Olga, so this cub has cousins in the US. 

Arktos (his friend Walker in background) in HWP

As we all know, polar bear cubs have a 50 percent chance of survival, for they are born so very fragile. So there were some losses, in addition to two of the triplets in Japan who did not make it. Raspi and Friida in Tallinn Estonia had cubs that did not survive. Lara and Bill in Gelsenkirchen Germany lost their twins too. 

No cubs were born in the US, unless Crystal in Toledo surprises us. Reports are that she is still denned up.

No cubs were born in Russia this year, but there have been some rescued cubs recently.

There is seldom any news about polar bears out of China.

Bear Conservation lists 310 polar bears in captivity, which includes at least some of the eight cubs in this story. 

Happy Father's Day to Victor

Victor enjoys his Project Polar home.

Serving as the elder statesman of polar bears at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in the UK, Victor is enjoying his retirement in the company of an unusual polar bear group, with Victor and three younger males sharing several large rambling habitats.

The rocky slopes of Project Polar.

The senior bear at YWP, Victor, has fathered 13 cubs with three different mothers. One of his current companions is his grandson, Pixel.

Victor roaming along the lake

Victor was born in Rostock Germany in December of 1998, so he will be 20 years old this fall, still fairly young. But he has fathered so many cubs, and his sister Victoria (1996), Vilma (2002, died last year), twins Valeska and Venus (2004) have also given us lovely cubs, and the family of their parents Churchill and Vienna are well represented in the polar bear population. The sixth of the "V" cubs, Vitus (2000) is considered sterile. In the summer of 2014, Victor was sent to Doncaster to the YWP as the first bear in Project Polar. 

Victor on the rolling rocky hillside

The ladies in his life

Victor has spent most of his life in Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, where he first shared quarters with older polar bear lady Vera (21), who gave birth to his son Rocky in the fall of 2002, when Victor was just four years old. (Rocky now lives in a zoo in Belgium with Blanche and their daughter Qannik born in 2011.)

2002 was a very busy year at Ouwehands Zoo. In March, mother polar bear Huggies returned to Rhenen from her stay in Sweden, with her 4 month old daughter Freedom. In August, just before Rocky was born, Victor was sent to the Amsterdam Zoo, where he lived for a year in a very sad bear pit, to allow Huggies room to care for her cub. In December, shortly after Victor left, Vera gave birth to Rocky.

I don't have a lot of information about Vera, just that she was born in 1981, and died at age 27 in 2008 in Skandanavisk Dyreparke in Kolind, Denmark, which opened their polar bear habitat in 2006. Rocky was her only cub, I believe.

Huggies

Huggies was wildborn on Wrangle Island in Russia in 1993, and rescued as a young cub from an ice floe. She was sponsored by the diaper company Kimberly Clark and flown to the Netherlands, where she lived for four years, then moved to Kolmarden Sweden, where she gave birth to daughter Freedom in December of 2001. Then she and the cub moved back to Ouwehands in early 2002. months later.

Freedom with cubs

More cubs

Huggies with one of Freedom's cubs at Ouwehands Zoo

Between mother and daughter, Huggies and Freedom, Victor sired a dozen cubs.

In 2005, Huggies created a sensation in Ouwehands when she gave birth to triplets, Henk, Ewa and Jelle, all three named after keepers. Henk is now in Nuenen, the Netherlands, Ewa is in Orsa in Sweden, and Jelle is in St. Felicien in Canada.

Henk, one of the triplets, now in Nuenen

Freedom gave birth to Sprinter in December of 2007.  In February 2010 he moved to that tiny enclosure in Amsterdam, for just two months, but then to a wonderful big place in Hannover, Germany.

Sprinter, on top, inherited the fierce large head
of Victor's father Churchill.
 He now lives in Hannover Germany with his friend Nanuq

Huggies gave birth to Walker and Swimmer in December, 2008, filmed and shown as part of BBC's Frozen Planet. Swimmer stole everyone's hearts in the coming out of the den video put out by the zoo, for he was so tiny compared to big Walker. Then there was that very sad Sunday in March, 2009, when Swimmer did not come out of the water after swimming with his mother. Something in his chest had burst, and he had died. Huggies retrieved his little body and the polar bear family grieved.

Walker on the right, with his friend Arktos
in Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland

So there was just Walker. When he was 2 years old, in May 2010, Walker moved to Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland where he lives with his friend Arktos, and across the park are Victor's sister Victoria and her cub Hamish.

So by summer of 2010, it was just Victor, Huggies and Freedom at Ouwehands. 

Freedom

But then in November, 2010 Freedom gave birth to Sesi and Siku (later Taiko).  The next year it was Huggies' turn.

Huggies

In December 2011 Huggies had twins, Lynn and Luka. At this point, the two moms, mother and daughter, were dealing with four cubs between them, and it seemed to work to raise them together in the large enclosure with that wonderful deep pool. These were amazing days, with Freedom and her older cubs, and Huggies and her younger cubs, splashing and playing for the visitors and on the Explore webcam broadcast around the world.  Two moms and four cubs all living together.

Eventually, these four cubs grew up on went on their way.  Sesi moved to Mulhouse in France and Siku became Taiko and went to LaFleche in France. Lynn moved to Vienna and then to Copenhagen.  Luka went to Wuppertal in Germany. 

Victor's son Luka in Wuppertal

Victor had played his part, as father to so many cubs, but while the moms raised the babies, like other polar bear fathers, he spent his days in the old enclosures off to the side, alone.

Akiak and Sura with mom Freedom

In August of 2014, Victor retired to Doncaster in the UK but not before adding to his legacy. In November 2014, a few months after Victor left, Akiak and Sura were born to Freedom.

Victor has grandchildren too. 

Henk fathered Pixel and Noordje, who were born in 2012, and Nickie and Simona, born in 2015, in Nuenen, with Frimas as Mom. Five year old Pixel now lives in YWP with his granddad Victor.

Two of Victor's companions at YWP are his grandson Pixel, on the left,
and Russian bear Nisson, on the right.

Sesi is mother to Nanuq in Mulhouse Zoo in France, with Vicks as the father.

Victor's daughter Sesi, with his granddaughter Nanuq

Life in YWP

Young Nobby carefully approaches Victor

Victor enjoys his naps and wandering around the many wild acres at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. For a long time, he and Nobby did not get along, or maybe Nobby was afraid of him, but now harmony is restored.

Victor with a chunk of meat. Nobby sniffs, then walks away.
 He would never steal meat from Victor.

Victor chases after Nobby.

Victor catching up with Nobby

Project Polar area has three large enclosures with large ponds, and they are planning to open another area, to make this the largest polar bear habitat in Europe.

Victor at the lake.

Victor with his keepers. Sometimes he likes to be inside.

The bears can choose to be out and about, or to be in the nighttime shelter, whenever they like. There are often ducks to chase, and many good things to eat and play with are hidden here and there by the keepers. Life is good in retirement.

Victor on the move.

In another story, I will tell about the three young bears who are companions to Victor, as the park looks forward to welcoming a new bear from Korea to Project Polar.

Taking a stroll through Project Polar.
 The habitat resembles the Canadian Tundra with its terrain and plants.

Handsome Victor