Wuppertal's polar bear home was revolutionary in its day

 

 9 month old cub Anori, with Mom Vilma above,
in 2012.

 

Vilma swims in the pool, as little Anori plays
 on the steps of the Art Nouveau architecture 

 of her home. 

I cannot think of a polar bear habitat still in use that is older or more stylish than the beautiful Art Nouveau / Art Deco creation of Zoo Wuppertal. It was designed to be a work of architectural art, and built in the early days of the 20th Century, just as the Victorian Age was ending. This multi-faceted exhibit, which has had improvements added over the years, incorporates many features that modern enclosures boast, such as smell ports with sea lions on the other side, underwater viewing window, various levels of diving platforms, and a large swimming area.

                                                    Luka and Anori, 2016

The climbing steps, designed to suggest random ice floes piled one on top of the other, keep a polar bear's back leg muscles strong. Newer polar bear habitats emphasize varied levels, just as this century old design exhibits.

This was one of the first zoo enclosures based upon Carl Hagenbeck's idea of open exhibits for zoo animals, without bars, to give the animals a more natural home. Hagenbeck came up with the idea of using giant wire forms covered with concrete to construct somewhat natural looking exhibits, some with mixed species separated by moats within the exhibit.

                                 Hagenbeck's Polar Panorama.

 The Wuppertal design is even more advanced than Hagenbeck's.  The polar bears are separated from the visitors without the moats that Hagenbeck used as barriers. The designer used granite blocks for the back walls of the habitat.

                                          Overlooking the pool

The Wuppertal enclosure must have been quite the sight in those early days, back when even the Schwebebahn was new. Visitors would have seen an imposing architectural wonder, gleaming white and resembling an alabaster  temple. Nowadays, the paint is peeling, but it still is impressive and the bears seem to love it. Lush vines drape over the stones, adding to the beauty. The vines turn scarlet every autumn. 

I imagine that when the Wuppertal polar bear home was first opened, it had railings instead of the current glass barriers overlooking the pool on both sides.

                                 Vilma and Lars in Wuppertal in 2011

Over a century ago when virtually every other zoo kept their polar bears in cages, or possibly in the newer but still primitive bear pits, Wuppertal built a first class home for polar bears that even now is impressive. It may not meet the very high standards of modern polar bear keeping because of its more limited space and lack of grass, but it certainly is grand. With the addition a few years ago of the mother-cub enclosure out the back with its coziness and soft surfaces, the polar bears get plenty of exercise running back and forth, in addition all the swimming.

The mother-cub room has a lower area which can serve as a shallow pool for a young cub, or be drained for more play area or a mulch pit.

                                                             Anori at 9 months

           9 month old Anori and the underwater viewing window, 2012.

Zoo Wuppertal was founded in 1879, with exhibits in buildings on beautifully landscaped grounds designed by garden expert Heinrich Siesmaye. It continues to be known for its lush vegetation, rolling hills and great variety of trees. The Green Zoo.

                                 Anori (top) and Luka in 2016

The polar bear and seal/sea lion installation, the "Northland Panorama," was the first outdoor exhibits to be built at Zoo Wuppertal, right after the turn of the century, maybe 1910 or before. I haven't been able to find the exact date, but it was very early in the last century. The first polar bear cubs were born in 1931.

One of Wuppertal's more famous residents was Boris, a polar bear with a distinctive craggy face unlike any other. I did not meet Boris, as he died in 2009, but I did visit his daughter Szenja of SeaWorld San Diego. Three cubs he fathered in Wuppertal were Troll (who went to Tierpark Berlin, and died in 2015), 28 year old Candy of Japan, and Szenja, who died in 2017.

                              Szenja in SeaWorld San Diego

 

Another famous resident of Wuppertal was Lars, father of the famous Knut. He came to Wuppertal in 2009, where he and Jerka, female polar bear, got along well. And then tragedy struck. In 2010, Jerka became deathly ill with a mystery illness, and then Lars as well. Jerka did not recover, and Lars was very sick for weeks, but slowly regained his health. It was later determined to be a form of herpes from Zebras, maybe carried by mice from the far away zebras to the polar bear enclosure.

When Lars was recovered, another female arrived from Rostock. It was Vilma, and in January of 2012, she gave birth to Anori. Lars went to Rostock then, because Vilma and Anori would need the room at Wuppertal. By that time, the new mother cub room had been constructed. Anori is the only cub to have used it.

Anori's birth created quite the stir. Long lines formed to get a glimpse of this little girl when she was old enough to be presented to an adoring public. The press was there too, and photographers just couldn't get enough photos.

In 2013, Vilma moved to Rostock where Lars was waiting for her. They later had another cub, Fiete, who now lives in Hungary. Lars fathered a set of twins, Qilak and Nuka, in Aalborg Denmark. Vilma and Lars are gone now.

Anori's cousin from the Netherlands, Luka, arrived to be playmate for the nearly three year old cub. 

 
                               Water games with Luka and Anori.

Anori and Luka spent seven years together in Wuppertal, and always seemed to be having a grand time. They had inventive toys and enrichment, and loved to run from the pool area through the house and out to the mother cub area, then back again. There were pool games and contests, a tug of war, playing tag around the raft, always something to do. Birthdays were celebrated with huge colorful cakes and even more new toys, with cheering and singing by crowds of fans on those wintry party days.

                                                   Anori and Luka (in back)

But recently zoo officials decided that the time had come to close down the old polar bear habitat, when suitable homes could be found for Luka and Anori. It didn't meet the standards set by the newer enclosures, and it requires a lot of water, which is expensive in the Wuppertal area. 

A year ago, Luka moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in the UK, where he has lots of grass to roll in, and three other young males as companions.

Now, Anori is getting ready for her big journey to France. The historic polar bear structure will not go to waste for the sea lions are preparing to move in. They have probably had their eye on the neighboring property for some time!

          There are many levels for play. Here are little Anori and Vilma

The California Sea Lions are just below the polar bears, and will  expand their area, when Anori leaves.

 

The mother-cub area was a new addition. 

School children get a good luck at the cub, Anori, in the mother cub area

                    Anori standing while Luka watches in the mother cub room

             Walking up from the zoo entrance, there are the polar bears.

After more than a century, this Wuppertal landmark will be closing down as a polar bear home when Anori leaves in the coming weeks.

A traveling box has been placed in her area, so Anori can get used to it. Her new home will be in Mulhouse, France, where she will live with her cousin Sesi and cub Kara. There are two beautiful spacious grassy enclosures there, one with a smaller splashing  pool, and the other has a larger pool with a huge viewing window. As in Wuppertal, the keepers there give the polar bears lots of toys and enrichment, so Anori will be happy.

Luka underwater in 2015

Even with the polar bears gone, the Green Zoo Wuppertal will continue to be a fine place to visit. Their elephant family seems to always have one or two new babies. The interior penguin exhibit up behind the polar bear habitat is new and exciting with a 15 meter long viewing tunnel to see the King and Gentoo penguins, while the African penguins live just across the road from the Sea Lions, and they are a lot of fun to watch. The lion habitat is the largest in Germany and well worth the climb up the mountain to get there.

                   Baby Gus the elephant and his family in Wuppertal in 2019

                                        African Penguins in Wuppertal

The Amazing Tale of Tuffi the Elephant

Baby Tuffi of Zoo Wuppertal. Happy First Birthday. little girl.

This tale of two elephants named Tuffi shows how far we have come in our attitudes toward animals. It is no longer acceptable to use polar bears and elephants in circus. Someday soon, hopefully, there will be no more animals forced to perform in circuses, only people who voluntarily risk their lives for the sake of the performance. 

But many many few years ago, one little circus elephant went for the ride of her life. Here is the story of  today's Tuffi the Elephant, and the elephant for whom she was named.


Diese Geschichte über zwei Elefanten namens Tuffi soll zeigen, wie weit unser Verhalten in Bezug auf Tiere gekommen ist. Es wird nicht mehr akzeptiert, dass Eisbären und Elefanten in einem Zirkus gehalten werden können. Eines Tages, so ist die Hoffnung, dürfen keine wilden Tiere mehr benutzt werden in einem Zirkus aufzutreten. Nur Menschen, die das Risiko aufnehmen, in ihren Darbietungen sich zur Schau zu stellen.

Jedoch vor vielen Jahren ergab es sich, dass ein kleiner Zirkus-Elefant die Fahrt seines Lebens antreten sollte. Hier nun die Geschichte von Tuffi, und dem Elefanten, nachdem sie benannt wurde.

Tuffi was born March 16, 2016,
at Zoo Wuppertal in Germany

The City of Wuppertal, Germany is famous today for its great elephant family living in the Wuppertal Zoo, and for the century old Schwebebahn, the revolutionary suspended monorail which opened in 1903 and is still running today as public transportation.

Die Stadt Wuppertal in Deutschland ist heute bekannt für die großartige Elefantenherde, die im Zoo von Wuppertal lebt, und ebenso für die Jahrhunderte alte Schwebebahn, die bahnbrechend eingleisig schwebend im Jahr 1903 eröffnet wurde und bis heute als öffentliches Tranportmittel genutzt wird.

Polar bear Anori lives with Luka in the Wuppertal Zoo.
 She was born there in January of 2012.

From the Wuppertal main train station, you can take the Schwebebhan to the Wuppertal Zoo, where you can meet famous polar bears, climb the mountain to see the lions, and visit the magnificent elephant house and yard, with plenty of room and a large African Elephant family. The visitor will usually find a cute baby elephant or two to admire.

Vom Hauptbahnhof in Wuppertal kann man die Schwebebahn benutzen um in den Zoo von Wuppertal zu gelangen, dort trifft man auf berühmte Eisbären, klettert die Hügel hinauf um die Löwen zu sehen und besucht das prächtige Elefantenhaus und die Anlagen, mit viel Platz für die Familien der Afrikanischen Elefanten. Die Besucher finden manchmal auch einen oder zwei kleine Babyelefanten, die sie bewundern können.

Mother Sabie and Baby Tuffi, 6 moths old in this photo.

The most recent elephant baby addition, Tuffi, will celebrate her first birthday on March 16, 2017. She lives in Wuppertal with her mother Sabie, Sabie's other children 3 year old Moyo, 5 year old Uli, and 9 year old Tika. Daddy Tusker lives next door. Two year old Jogi and his mother Sweni also live with Tuffi. 


Das nun kürzlich hinzu gefügte Elefantenjungtier namens Tuffi feiert ihren ersten Geburtstag am 16. März, 2017. Sie lebt mit ihrer Mutter Sabie sowie Sabies drei älteren Kindern Moyo, 3, Uli 5 und die 9 Jahre alte Tika. Vater Tusker wohnt gleich nebenan. Der 2 Jahre alte Jogi und dessen Mutter Sweni lebt auch mit Tuffis Familie.

Mother Sabie, Baby Tuffi, and big brother Moyo

African Elephant Sabie and her kids

Young Tuffi plays with brother Moyo, and the other elephants. She follows her mother around. She gets a playful bath with the other elephants every morning. Many people come to see her, but she doesn't really care. She just likes to play and run and dance, throw straw in the air, and eat.


Jungtier Tuffi spielt mit ihrem Bruder Moyo und den anderen Elefanten. Sie folgt häufig ihrer Mutter. Jeden Morgen nimmt sie ein planschendes Bad gemeinsam mit den anderen Elefanten. Es kommen viele Menschen sie zu besuchen,aber da kümmert sie sich nicht drum. Sie liebt es zu spielen, zu rennen und zu tänzeln, Stroh in die Luft zu werfen und zu fressen.

Litte Tuffi

This young Tuffi lives a very different life than the original Tuffi, the famous circus elephant.

Diese junge Tuffi hat ein ganz anderes Leben als die Original Tuffi-der berühmte Zirkus Elefant.

Riding the famous Schwebebahn.
 It sways back and forth, and makes a lot of noise, as you travel over the river. It is rather like an amusement park ride.

The car loads from a high platform.
 Tuffi had to climb many stairs to get to the platform

The suspended monorail, the Schwebahn,
 follows the twists and turns of the river through the city of Wuppertal.

A car as it leaves the platform

The other Tuffi, a young Asian Elephant who visited Wuppertal with a travelling circus over a six decades ago, is legendary for her great adventures, especially the story of her short ride on Wuppertal's renowned  hanging monorail.

I know it is cruel that Tuffi was kept in a circus, and that she was made to do these stunts. And yet it is a part of history. We should not forget how animals were treated, just a few decades ago. 


The original Tuffi had been born in India in 1946, sadly kidnapped from her native land, and brought to Germany. It was a brutal practice then to take animals from the wild, to take baby animals from their mothers, to travel around and perform in circuses, or perhaps live in a zoo. Circus owner Franz Althoff bought Tuffi three years later. 


Diese andere Tuffi, ein junger asiatischer Elefant besuchte Wuppertal vor mehr als 60 Jahren, wurde berühmt mit ihrem großen Abenteuer, besonders die die Geschichte ihrer kurzen Fahrt mit der bekannten Wuppertaler Schwebebahn.

Ich weiß daß es grausam ist, daß Tuffi in einem Zirkus gehalten wurde und man sie zwang, all die Stunts zu machen.Auch dies ist ein Teil der Geschichte. Wir dürfen nicht vergessen wie Tiere gehalten wurden, nur einige Jahrzehnte zuvor.

Die eigentliche Tuffi wurde in 1946 in Indien geboren, trauriger Weise aus ihrem Heimatland entführt und nach Deutschland verfrachtet. Es war brutale Prazise Tiere aus der Wildnis zu entnehmen, Tierjunge ihren Müttern zu entreißen, sie herum reisen und im Zirkus auftreten zu lassen, oder vielleicht auch in einem Zoo leben zu müssen. Zirkusbesitzer Franz Althoff kaufte Tuffi drei Jahre später.

Circus elephant Tuffi ready to step into the car

In the footsteps of 19th Century showman P.T. Barnum, Althoff loved publicity stunts. He often involved Tuffi in his clever, attention getting marketing ploys, always making sure the newspaper reporters and photographers were there.

Tuffi was a special little elephant, very trusting and a quick learner. Wherever the Althoff Circus went, Tuffi was called upon to perform special tricks, such as driving a tram, presenting flowers to the mayor of Oberhausen, riding in a boat, or hauling a case of beer up to some bricklayers in Solingen.


In den Fußstapfen vom Schausteller des 19. Jahrhunderts P.T.Barnum liebte auch Althoff öffentliche Stunts. Häufig ließ er Tuffi in seine Publikumswirksamen Tricks agieren, und ließ es auch werbewirksam auf Zeitungsreporter und Fotographen zeigen.

Tuffi war ein besonderer kleiner Elefant, sehr zutraulich und lernte auch schnell. Woimmer der Zirkus Althoff hinzog wurde Tuffi gerufen, um besondere Tricks zu zeigen wie eine Tram zu fahren, dem Bürgermeister von Oberhausen einen Blumenstrauß zu überreichen, in einem Boot zu fahren oder für einige Maurer in Solingen einen Kasten Bier zu transportieren.

Tuffi in the car, crowded with photographers and reporters.
 No wonder she panicked.

Since the city of Wuppertal was world famous for the Schwebebahn, and since Tuffi was used to riding in a train, Circus owner Franz Althoff stupidly thought up a wild plan to get some free publicity for his circus. If the little 4 year old elephant would ride the famous suspended railway in Wuppertal, with all the newspaper reporters and photographers lined up to document the event, he would sell many more tickets to his circus. He even got the approval of a Schwebebahn official for the stunt.

At 10 a.m. on July 21, 1950, Tuffi put her trunk through the grate at the Schwebebahn ticket window at the Alter Markt station, and Althoff asked for five second class tickets, four of which were for the young elephant. Just before 10:30 a.m.Tuffi and her handlers climbed the stairs, and squeezed through the doors on Car 13. The car was soon filled photographers and the press, to document this spectacular event.



As soon as the car began to move, it became clear that Tuffi did not like the swaying motion, or the squeaks of the train. Car 13 was overcrowded, for no one wanted to miss the spectacle. The photographers were flashing lights in Tuffi's face. Just before arriving at the next station at Adlerbrucke, Tuffi panicked and broke through the window, falling 39 feet, splashing down into the Wupper River below. Fortunately, the Schwebebahn straddles the river, and follows its curves. Tuffi was only scratched up a bit, but several reporters were hurt, a camera was broken, and the rail car had a big elephant-sized hole in the side where the window should be.

Weil die Wuppertal weltberühmt ist für die Schwebebahn, und weil Tuffi es gewöhnt war Eisenbahn zu fahren, dachte Franz Althoff sich dummerweise einen unüberlegten Plan 

aus um  Kostenfreie Aufmerksamkeit für seinen Zirkus zu erregen. Wenn es möglich wäre, das vierjährige Elefantenmädchen dazu zu bewegen, die Schwebebahn in Wuppertal zu besteigen und zu fahren, mit all den Zeitungsreportern und Fotographen, die über dieses Ereignis berichten könnten würde er auch viel mehr Eintrittskarten für den Zirkus verkaufen. Vom Verantwortlichen der Schwebebahn bekam er auch eine Genehmigung diesen Stunt zu vorzuführen.  


Um 10 Uhr am Morgen des 21. Juli 1950 steckte Tuffi ihren Rüssel durch das Gitter des Kartenfensters an der Alter Markt Station und Althoff orderte 5 zweiter Klasse Tickets, vier davon waren für den kleinen Elefanten. Kurz vor 10:30 Uhr erklommen Tuffi und ihre Begleiter die Stufen und quetschen sich durch die Tür von Wagen Nr. 13. Bald war das Abteil mit Fotographen und Reporter gefüllt, die dieses Spektakel dokumentieren wollten.

Sobald nun der Zug anfuhr war es klar, daß Tuffi diese schaukelnde Bewegung nicht mochte, ebenso wenig die quietschen Geräusche des Zuges. Wagen Nr.13 war total überfüllt, da niemand dieses Spektakel missen wollte.Die Fotographen hielten die Blitzlichter in Tuffi's Augen. Kurz vor Ankunft der nächsten Station Adlerbruck bekam Tuffi Panik und zerbrach das Fenster, sie fiel 39 feet, dann in die Wupper unter ihr. Glücklicherweise folgt die Schwebebahn dem Fluss und dem Verlauf der Kurven. Tuffi war nur ein wenig zerkratzt, jedoch einige Reporter hatten Verletzungen, eine Kamera zerbrach und und das Zugabteil hatte ein Elefantengroßes Loch wo das Fenster hätte sein sollen.

An old post card tells the story of Tuffi.
The illustration of the elephant falling from the car is an artist's depiction, NOT a photo.

Tuffi was rescued from the river by Althoff, relatively uninjured, and she performed in the circus that night. Althoff and the official who allowed the plan went to court and had to pay a fine for their scheme, for animals are not allowed on the Schwebebahn.

Tuffi wurde dann von Althoff an Land gebracht, nahezu unverletzt, und am Abend trat sie schon wieder in der Manege auf. Althoff und auch der Verantwortlicher wurde vor Gericht gebracht und mussten eine Strafe für ihren Plan bezahlen, da es nicht erlaubt ist Tiere mit in die Schwebebahn zu nehmen.

Althoff leads Tuffi up the riverbank after her leap.

Tuffi climbs out of the Wupper River

Tuffi travelled for 18 more years with Franz Althoff, and was sold to a French circus in 1968, where she continued to perform, Her dive into the Wupper River became legendary. Tuffi was even more famous. After a long life with her circus family she died in Paris in 1989 at the age of 43. 

Tuffi reiste  fast 18 Jahre mit Franz Althoff, danach wurde sie 1968 an einen französischen Zirkus verkauft, wo sie weiterhin Vorstellungen gab. Ihr Bad in die Wupper war legendär, Tuffi wurde dadurch noch bekannter. Nach einem langen Leben mit ihrer Zirkusfamilie verstarb sie 1989 in Paris im Alter von 43 Jahren.

Tuffi made front page news.  She was lucky she landed in the river.

The first Tuffi has had books written about her, and there is an elephant painted on a building near the spot where she fell into the river. The City of Wuppertal is still talking about her.


Über die erste Tuffi wurden viele Bücher geschrieben, und es gibt eine gemaltes Bild eines Elefanten an einem Gebäude nahe der Stelle, an der sie in den Fluß fiel. In der Stadt Wuppertal  spricht man noch häufig darüber.

There are story books about Tuffi.

It is a tribute to the first Tuffi that there is a young girl elephant with her name, living in Wuppertal. If you are ever in Wuppertal, ride the Schwebebahn and visit the second Miss Tuffi in the Wuppertal Zoo.

Es ist ein Tribut an die erste Tuffi, dass ein Elefantenmädchen nun ihren Namen trägt und im Zoo von Wuppertal lebt. Wenn Du jemals nach Wuppertal kommst, besteige die Schwebebahn und besuche die zweite Miss Tuffi im Wuppertaler Zoo.

Tuffi and her mom, living peacefully in the zoo.

Thanks to Marga Andresen Gransow for the German translation.