This year's polar bear cubs -

 

Mother Frimas with Nivi and Elva, from my visit in 2019.

For the 2023-24 season, we have reports of only three cubs born and surviving this year, one in the Netherlands and twins in a remote northern area of Russia. 

Frimas and Wilbär are the parents of little Otis in Dierenrijk, a zoo between Mierlo, Eindhoven and Nuenen in the Netherlands.

Otis was born November 28, and his birth was announced on November 30. He just made his public debut a week ago. Otis is very popular, and already there are many photos of him with him mom, many of the photos showing how much Otis likes to get dirty. 

Baby Otis this week. (Photo by Hans Muskens)

Frimas, was wildborn in Canada in 2002 (estimated), and has been in Nuenen since 2011. She has already raised three sets of twins:  Pixel (m) and Noordje (f) born in 2012, Nicky (f) and Simona (f) born in 2015, and Nivi (m) and Elva (f) born in 2018. Henk, one of Huggies' triplets born in 2005, is the father of all three sets of triplets born to Frimas. He lives in France now.

Mother Frimas an Baby Otis. (Photo by Hans Muskens)

Otis' father Wilbär was born to Anton and Corinna in the Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart Germany in 2007, their only child. He moved to Orsa Predator Park in Sweden where he fathered daughter Miki born in 2020 with Ewa, and twin boys Noori and Nannok in 2021 with Hope. Sadly, Miki died of a heart condition at age 3 as she was being moved with her mother from Orsa to the UK. Hope, along with her twin boys, were also moved from Orsa to Peak Wildlife Park in the UK last fall, after Orsa Park closed.

Otis has some interesting great uncles and a great aunt. Antonia, the famous dwarf polar bear of Gelsenkirchen ZOOM, at age 34 is also the oldest polar bear that we know of. Antonia is the half sister of Wilbär's late father Anton. Both Anton and Antonia were born in Zoo Karlsruhe.

Wilbär's uncle Nanok II, who was half brother of Corinna, was also the father of Malik of Aalborg Zoo.

Corinna's older half brother Wilhelm, also called Willie, also born in Copenhagen, was sold to the East German Circus and ended up in a Mexican Circus, where he and five other polar bears were rescued in 2002 in Puerto Rico and taken to US zoos.  Their rescue was worldwide news. Wilhelm enjoyed a good life for ten years at the North Carolina Zoo and later the Milwaukee County Zoo. 

Father Wilbär, next door (Photo by Hans Muskens)

As the Russian twins, born in the Yakutsk Zoo (Orto-Doydu), the children of wildborn mother Kolymana, are quite remote, we haven't had much information on them. The Yakutsk zoo has announced that the twins will be allowed outside at the end of March. It is very near the Arctic Circle, so it is still quite wintry there. The gender of the cubs is not known. Father of the cubs is Lomonosov, son of Uslada. Kolymana and Lomonosov are parents of daughter Chaarchana (2016) and son Almaz (2019).

UPDATE on March 26: The cubs' birthdate has been announced as December 4. They are a boy and a girl, and there will be a naming contest.

“The cubs feel good, they run actively, tumble and play pranks, but they are always close to their mother. They have grown up and can confidently go out of the house in which they were born into the inner room. Kolymana also feels good, she has a lot of worries, every little bear needs an eye and an eye, but she’s doing great, she’s coping,” said Natalya Safonova, head of the scientific and educational department of the zoo.

The Yakutsk Zoo is about 450 miles south of the Arctic Circle, and quite remote, even from the city of Yakutsk.

In 2012, Kolymana was found as a wandering lost cub, all alone in the world, by members of the Bear Patrol in the ice of the East Siberian Sea in Nizhnekolymsky ulus. She was rescued and brought to Orto-Doydu,  the zoo which is just south of Yakutsk.  

Lomonosov, born in 2011, is the same age as Kolymana. He is the son of the late Uslada and Menshikov, who produced 16 offspring at the Moscow Zoo.

The Russian twins' birth was announced on January 29, but we don't know when they were actually born, and so far just an early den video, no photos. 

As the zoos in Russia and Europe are pretty much at capacity, there has been an intentional slowdown on breeding, and this is why there were so few cubs born last year and this year.

In the Fall of 2023, there were several births in Japan, but they did not survive. Also Friida in Tallinn Estonia had triplets, but just as in the previous two years, they did not live, and Friida is now thought to be too old and they will not try again. 

Last year

In 2022, Anouk was born in Hamburg, Germany, to Viktoria and Kap, the only cub in Europe. Twin girls Belka and Strelka were born in Novosibirsk Russia to Gerda and Kai, also in 2022. And in the USA, where there is plenty of room for more cubs, last year Crystal gave birth to twin boys Kallu and Kallik, with Nuka as the father. No cubs were born in the USA this year.

Thank you to my friend Hans Muskens for allowing me to use his photos of Otis and his parents in Dierenrijk.

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. 

Corinna and Anton together again

Corinna

 Today I received word from a friend that beautiful Corinna, with her lovely fluffy big ears, has left us. She was 28 years old.

Corinna

Corinna was born in Copenhagen in 1989, and spent most of her life in the elegant Wilhelma Zoological Park in Stuttgart, Germany with her adored Anton.

Corinna's half brother, with the same father, was the famous Wilhelm, or Willie, born in 1985, who had been sold by the Copenhagen Zoo at the age of 4 months to private owners and spent 16 years sweltering and being forced to perform in a poor Mexican circus. He was rescued in 20o2 along with six other polar bears when the circus overwintered in Puerto Rico, which is a territory of the U.S. Thankfully, Willie lived in comfort the rest of his life, in the North Carolina Zoo, and then the Milwaukee County Zoo, where he died in 2013. 

 Corinna was spared that fate, and was sent to Germany. Anton and Corinna arrived at the Wilhelma together, at the age of one, and grew up as playmates. As they matured, the zoo expected that they would have cubs. They waited and waited. No cubs.

Anton and Corinna

But then Corinna surprised the polar bear world when she gave birth to Wilbär in the fall of 2007 at the ripe old age of 18. The zoo kept his birth a secret, for fear of too much press attention as happened to Knut in Berlin, and was happening at the same time in Nuremburg with Flocke's birth.  Mother Corinna took good care of her only child, but there was an early separation in the spring of 2009, when Corinna and young Wilbär  engaged in some aggressive behavior, sometimes resulting in blood. Maybe it was because Corinna was anxious to get back to her Anton, for they truly were a love match.

Corinna and her beloved Anton

Every afternoon, for most of their lives together, Anton and Corinna would settle in for the famous ear licking ritual, something quite uncommon for polar bears. I have only seen one other pair engage in ear licking, best friends Nancy and Tosca in Berlin Zoo.

Corinna licking Anton's ear

Anton would climb onto the central rock perch in the left hand side, and lay there while Corinna spent long periods of time licking his right ear, while Anton closed his eyes with enjoyment.

Corinna shows her love

The pair seemed to never tire of this rite of affection.

How Anton loved it

They were separated for a period of several years when Corinna had her cub. During this time, Anton really missed Corinna. He pined away for her. The zoo painted the separating glass with whitewash so he couldn't see her, but still he pined, for he could hear her, and smell her.

Love in the afternoon

When young Wilbär left the Wilhelma, he moved to the polar bear Paradise of Orsa Bear Park in Sweden, where he was soon joined by a young girl bear named Ewa, but no cubs have resulted. This past fall, another young girl cub named Hope, the daughter of Flocke and Raspi, has arrived in Orsa so Wilbär now has two girlfriends. 

Swimming with Anton

With Wilbär gone north, Anton and Corinna were reunited, and lived together for many happy years and countless afternoons of ear licking.

Anton and Corinna

Corinna and Anton

Then there was a terrible tragedy in early 2014, when some thoughtless  visitor threw a backpack into the enclosure, Anton ate the contents, and it ended up killing him.

Pretty Corinna

Corinna lived alone in the ensuing years, with several suitors coming to call, but no one could replace Anton, her true love.

From 2014, Yoghi naps while Corinna swims, avoiding him

Yoghi came to the Wilhelma in 2014 when Giovanna, who had given birth to twins the previous fall, needed privacy and space to raise her family, so Yoghi stayed for seven months in Stuttgart, but then returned to his family in nearby Munich. Corinna tolerated Yoghi, but was happy when he left.

From 2015, Corinna on the left, Felix on the right

In 2015, Felix came to visit for 8 months, after Vera had baby Charlotte in Nuremburg. Again, Corinna tolerated him, but was happy when he moved on and she could be alone.

Corinna on the balancing rock

Corinna

After that, the zoo decided Corinna should have her privacy so she has lived alone for the past three years, happily enjoying her solitude.

Corinna and a play stick

I like to think of the beautiful Corinna being reunited with her Anton again, for they were so happy together.

Corinna follows Anton

More ear licking

The cause of death has not been announced.

Corinna on the balancing rock

 

Farewell, beautiful Corinna

 

We have lost Anton much too soon

Anton

The cuddly white giant Anton is gone from us. He was a friendly, playful and very popular bear at Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart, Germany. He leaves behind a grieving widow, Corinna, who will miss him so much.

Der kuschelige weiße Riese Anton ist von uns gegangen. Er war ein freundlicher, verspielter und sehr beliebte Bär im Zoo Wilhelma in Stuttgart, Deutschland. Er hinterlässt eine trauernde Witwe, Corrina, der ihn so sehr vermissen wird.

Anton was a large magestic bear

One of the great polar bear love stories of all time has just ended with Anton's death over the weekend. Anton and Corinna have been together at Stuttgart since 1990, practically their whole lives.

Einer der großen Eisbären Liebesgeschichten aller Zeiten hat gerade mit dem Tod von Anton über das Wochenende geendet. Anton und Corinna haben zusammen in Stuttgart seit 1990, praktisch ihr ganzes Leben.

Anton

Anton was the father of Wilbär, who now lives in Orsa Bear Park in Sweden.

Anton war der Vater von Wilbär, dieser lebt heute im Orsa Bärenpark in Schweden.

Anton

Anton, only 25 years old, didn't have to die, but someone was careless or intentionally threw a bag or backpack into the enclosure. Although Anton was usually not one to eat things thrown into the enclosure, this time Anton ate whatever it was. He had been acting unwell for several days,  and died on Sunday of internal inflammation, in spite of the great efforts of his caretakers to save him.

Anton, nur 25 Jahre alt, sollte so nicht sterben, aber jemand war unvorsichtig oder warf absichtlich eine Tasche oder Rucksack in das Gehege. Obwohl Anton war in der Regel kein Bär, der Dinge, die ins Gehege geworfen wurden dann fraß, diesmal aber fraß Anton, was auch immer es war. Er war auffällig mehrere Tage krank und starb am Sonntag an internen Entzündung, trotz der großen Bemühungen seiner Tierpfleger, um ihn zu retten.

Anton

Such carelessness by visitors has caused the deaths of other polar bears. 14 year old Andy died in the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City in 2003 when he ate a glove that had an elastic cuff. Andy was the father of Anana of the Brookfield Zoo, and grandfather of cub Luna of the Buffalo Zoo. Andy was also the father of Kiska and Koluk, now in Albuquerque.

Solche Fahrlässigkeit von Besuchern hat den Tod von anderen Eisbären verursacht.Der 14-jährige Andy starb im Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City im Jahr 2003, als er einen Handschuh, der eine elastische Manschette hatte fraß. Andy war der Vater von Anana aus dem Brookfield- Zoo, und Großvater von Baby Luna vom Buffalo Zoo. Andy war auch der Vater von Kiska und Koluk, jetzt in Albuquerque.

Andy's mother Becky died in 2007 at the Buffalo Zoo from eating something thrown into the enclosure. This was only a few months after polar bear Kelly died, also in Buffalo, from eating foreign objects. Later in 2007, seven year old Kinepak, also died at the Buffalo Zoo, and it was suspected he died from eating a garbage bag. Kinepak was the offspring of Aussie and Arki. The barriers in the old Buffalo enclosure were low.

Andys Mutter Becky starb 2007 im Zoo von Buffalo nach dem Fressen von etwas,das ins Gehege geworfen wurde. Dies war nur ein paar Monate nachdem Eisbär Kelly starb, auch in Buffalo, vom Fressen unbekannter Fremdkörper. Später im Jahr 2007, der sieben Jahre alten Kinepak, starb auch im Buffalo Zoo, und es wurde vermutet, er vom Fressen eines Müllsack starb. Kinepak war der Nachkommen von Aussie und Arki. Die Barrieren in der alten Buffalo-Gehäuse waren niedrig.

And how many other bears have died because of items carelessly thrown into the enclosure?

Und wie viele andere Bären, von Gegenständenl achtlos in das Gehege geworfen sind noch verstorben?

The glass walls are topped
 with electrical wires at Wilhelma

The glass barrier at Wilhelma is very high, and things could not be accidentally dropped. And yet the keepers have taken many pairs of shoes and other objects out over the years.

Die Glasbarrierein der Wilhelma ist sehr hoch, und es kann nicht versehentlich geschehen sein. Und doch haben die Pfleger viele Paar Schuhe und andere Gegenstände im Laufe der Jahre gefunden.

The glass barriers are very high

Is the only solution to have a barrier so high that people can't reach the top? To have the enclosure totally blocked off?

Ist die einzige Lösung, eine Barriere so hoch zu machen, dass die Menschen da oben nichts mehr rüber werfen können? Um das Gehege komplett abzusperren?

At the top of the left hand enclosure, the glass walls are also very high.

Anton, as a little cub, got off to a rocky start. He was born at nearby Karlsruhe Zoo in 1989, during a time of intense polar bear breeding. Many cubs were born every year at Karlsruhe, and the cubs were taken away from their mothers so the zoo could have cubs the next year. Anton was sickly, while his half-sister Antonio was very bold and healthy. As time went by, Anton recovered, and grew into a huge bear. Antonio was a dwarf bear, and she did not grow. She now lives in Gelsenkirchen ZOOM in her own enclosure.

Anton, als ein kleines Junges, hatte einen schwierigen Start. Er wurde in der Nähe im Karlsruhe Zoo im Jahr 1989 in einer Zeit der intensiven Eisbärenzucht geboren. Viele Jungtiere wurden jedes Jahr geboren in Karlsruhe, und die Jungen wurden von ihren Müttern getrennt, so konnte der Zoo wieder Jungtiere haben im nächsten Jahr. Anton war kränklich, während seine Halbschwester Antonio war gut genährt und gesund. Im Laufe der Zeit, Anton erholte sich und wuchs zu einem riesigen Bären. Antonio war ein Zwerg Bär, und sie wollte auch nicht mehr wachsen. Sie lebt jetzt in Gelsenkirchen ZOOM in ihrem eigenen Gehege.

Anton's half sister Antonia

I have visited Anton twice, and was always impressed with what a handsome bear he was. Corinna adored her husband, and in the afternoon, she would settle down next to him and wash his ear. Anton and Corinna were famous for this ritual. They were absolutely devoted to each other.

Ich habe Anton zweimal besucht, und war immer beeindruckt, was er für ein schöner Bär war. Corinna verehrt ihren Mann, und am Nachmittag lag sie neben ihm und putzte ihm sein Ohr. Anton und Corinna waren für dieses Ritual berühmt. Sie waren eng miteinander verbunden.

The afternoon ear-licking

When cub Wilbär was born in December 2007, Anton and Corinna had to be separated. Anton pined away for his love, so close and yet so far. The keepers had to whitewash the window between the enclosures so he couldn't see her, but still he pined away. Finally, Wilbär was sent to Sweden, and the parents were reunited.

Als Baby Wilbär im Dezember 2007 geboren war, mußten Anton und Corinna getrennt werden. Anton schmachtete nach seiner Liebe, so nah und doch so fern. Die Pfleger hatten das Fenster zwischen den Gehegen übertüncht und so konnte er sie nicht sehen, aber dennoch sehnte er sich nach ihr. Schließlich wurde Wilbär nach Schweden geschickt, und die Eltern waren wieder vereint.

Anton enjoyed the loving ritual

People would come to the zoo just to see Corinna lick Anton's ears

The popular blue barrel toy

Corinna and Anton

Relaxing around the house

More ear licking

I have never seen a more devoted bear couple. It will be hard for Corinna to move on with her life, now that Anton is gone. 

Ich habe noch nie eine hingebungsvolle Bären Paar gesehen. Es wird schwer sein für Corinna mit ihrem Leben weiter zu machen, jetzt, wo Anton für immer fort ist. 

  

Naptime for lovers