Update: Anana's death was from natural causes

Anana in Brookfield Zoo, Chicago

The news of the tragic death of Anana at the Detroit Zoo on February 8, just a little over two months ago was all the more heartbreaking to think that another much loved bear, Nuka, had killed her during attempted breeding. Anana was adored by zoo visitors from the Brookfield Zoo, Buffalo Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, and her final home at the Detroit Zoo.

It is a relief to know the truth now, with news of the results of the autopsy.

An independent commission of experts has studied what led to Anana's death, and their results were shared this week with Detroit Zoo members through an email. 

Anana in Cincinnati

The following was sent out in an email to the Detroit Zoo members this week from the Detroit Zoological Society.

DZS recently completed an in-depth review into Anana’s death and, working with veterinary pathologists at Michigan State University, discovered that she died from advanced heart disease. She was not killed by male polar bear Nuka, as was originally believed. The DZS’s Animal Health External Review Panel, a group of experts in veterinary and human health, endorsed this conclusion.

Analysis of Anana’s heart tissues showed that she experienced acute heart failure or a fatal arrhythmia before or during breeding attempts. It was impossible to know that she had a cardiac condition called multifocal myocardial fibrosis, as she showed no clinical signs and a 2020 medical examination noted no abnormalities in her heart function. Wounds on Anana likely resulted from Nuka holding her with his teeth, as is typical during polar bear breeding. He was also observed moving her around the habitat after she became unresponsive, possibly because he was confused by her behavior.

While DZS continues to mourn Anana’s loss, the polar bear staff is focused on caring for Nuka, as well as female Suka and her 6-month-old cubs. Laerke (the cub being reared by staff) is living in the polar bears’ building, but is separated from the other bears while she gets to know them from a distance. Suka and Astra (the cub she is raising in the maternity den) will soon be exploring the Arctic Ring of Life’s Tundra habitat.

Anana

From the start, Nuka was presumed guilty, but now has been found innocent of causing Anana's death. It sounds like the wounds were inflicted upon her face and neck by Nuka's efforts to wake Anana up after her heart failure.

Nuka is the father of the Suka's twins and we will be able to see these cubs, one raised by their mother Suka and the other by keepers, in the coming weeks at the Detroit Zoo.  A shadow over the happy events surrounding the new cubs has been lifted with the news that Anana's death was from natural causes. 

Anana was born at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City on December 12, 2000. The petite lady bear, weighing in at only 450 pounds, had one daughter, 8 year old Luna, now living in the Buffalo Zoo with Suka's brother Sakari. Anana died of heart failure in Detroit on February 8, 2021.

Nuka, father of the cubs

Suka, mother of twins, in Detroit

Tragedy in Detroit

 

Anana

Update on April 25, 2021: The cause of Anana's death has been announced. She died of heart failure. The wounds on her head were probably from Nuka trying to move her around the area, maybe nudge her back to life.

Today is a very sad day. Our beloved Anana, age 20, was killed today, Monday, February 8, 2021, by 16 year old Nuka in the Detroit Zoo.  They had lived together last year in peace, and had just been reunited last week when Anana emerged after denning up. 

The male, Nuka, has been with several females over the years, without incident. The other female polar bear at the zoo, Suka, gave birth to twins in November and is behind the scenes. 

Anana in Cincinnati

Anana was born December 12, 2000 in Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City to Chinook and Andy. She went to the Buffalo Zoo when she was two, and lived there until 2013, shortly after she gave birth to Luna, who still lives in Buffalo. Luna's father was the late wildborn Nanuq. Anana took no interest in the cub, so Luna was raised by keepers. Anana moved almost immediately to Chicago. 

Anana in Brookfield Zoo

Anana stayed for several years in Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, where she lived with old Aussie, and with his son Hudson. Then she returned to Buffalo for a year after the Buffalo Zoo completed construction of a beautiful new and spacious polar bear habitat, to replace the antiquated bear pits Anana knew before.

Anana was a very pretty, round fluffy bear

She spent several years in the Cincinnati Zoo, where she initially rejected Little One, but then changed her mind and they got along well, although no cubs resulted. 

Anana, right after she arrived in Cincinnati

While she was in Cincinnati, I went to see her quite a bit, and she was a real favorite with zoo visitors. She was petite, just about 450 pounds, and very round and fluffy, with a cute pouty lower lip. She was playful and fun, and loved to pose for the visitors.

Anana, eating, while Little One adores

She brought out the best in Little One. He was active and playful again, in spite of his advanced years. They seemed to really enjoy each others' company, once Anana got over her original reluctance.

Anana at Halloween. There's that cute lower lip.

Anana would take awhile to warm up to a new male companion. In Buffalo, she didn't want Nanuq at first, but after a year, she decided she liked him after all, and the result was Luna. The same thing happened in Cincinnati. She and Little One would huff and puff at each other, and avoid getting close for the longest time, and then all of a sudden, she couldn't get enough of him.  

Maybe that is what happened in Detroit, but Nuka was impatient and didn't want to play her games. We don't know what happened and maybe never will.

A year ago she moved from Cincinnati to Detroit, and it was hoped that she might have another cub with Nuka.

It is rare for polar bear mating to to lead to a death, but it does sometimes happen with these predators. A similar tragedy happened in Russia last spring, A polar bear named Aurora moved from the Royev Ruchey Zoo in Krasnoyarsk to Izhevsk Zoo in March. She was introduced to the male Baloo, all seemed to be going well. Then Baloo attacked suddenly and killed Aurora, on April 29, 2020.

Anana's sudden tragic death comes as a great shock to me. I knew her so well, and she had a big personality in such a tiny bear body. And now she is gone. I was hoping to see her again this spring when I go to Detroit to see Suka's cubs. I miss her already.

Besides her daughter Luna, she also had twin brothers, Kiska and Koluk, who live in Arizona, and a brother, Denali, who lives in Sapporo Japan.

Rest in Peace, beautiful girl.

Sadness at the Como Zoo - Buzz died

Buzz plays

Today the sad news came that one of the Como Zoo twin brothers had died. At only the age of 24, Buzz's health had deteriorated to the point that he had no quality of life. I had not been expecting this news.

Buzz and the bucket

Neil and Buzz were born in the Louisville Zoo December 9, 1995, named for the first men to walk on the moon. Their parents were Skeena and Irsinaki. Their brother Ulu became the father of Berit, longtime resident of the Cincinnati Zoo. Another brother Icee already was father of Berlin and Yukon born in the Cincinnati Zoo. 

The decision was made to neuter them, so the twins could stay together year round. At that time, there were a lot more polar bears in zoos, and everyone thought their genes were well represented. 

Buzz gets into a milk carton

Thus the twins have been together all their lives. They lived in the San Diego Zoo from 1997 to 2001, then came to the Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota, where they have enjoyed nice snowy winters. In order for their enclosures to be renovated and expanded, Neil and Buzz moved to the Detroit Zoo for two years, returning to Como in 2010. While in Detroit, they especially enjoyed playing with Talini, the young daughter of circus polar bear Bärle. 

Buzz was a silly boy

Their home in Como now has a center training area, a big area to the right with live trout to catch in the pool, and another big area to the left with a swimming pool, grass and trees, and a lots of dirt piles and a trench.

Buzz on land, Neil swimming. It seemed like it was that way a lot.

Buzz and the Blue Ball

Neil in back, Buzz in front

Buzz on land

Their niece Berlin came to stay for six months in the summer of 2012 when a flash flood wrecked her home in Duluth. Buzz got along very well with the bossy old lady. Berlin is the daughter of their late older brother Icee. Berlin moved on to the Kansas City Zoo. 

Buzz greets his niece Berlin, who came to live with them for awhile after she escaped from her flooded zoo enclosure in Duluth. She was older, the daughter of their brother, so Neil and Buzz were her uncles.
Photo by my daughter, Corinna Troth

The twins also had some grizzly bears take over their right hand enclosure for a couple of years, due to a flood in Minot ND, and polar bear cubs Suka and Sakari also took over that spot for awhile. So it seemed that someone was always coming or going, with lots to do.

Play Ball, or what is left of it.

 Buzz was always the brother in charge, and Neil went along with whatever Buzz said. Buzz also seemed to be more interested in doing things, playing with toys, digging in the trenches, while Neil mostly wanted to swim. 

Buzz with yet another toy

Both brothers were involved with a revolution in medical methods, having been the second and third polar bears to be trained to put their paws into a metal sleeve for blood draws. This eliminates the need to anesthetize the bear. 

More fun toys

It will be hard for Neil with his brother gone. He always looked up to Buzz to lead the way. I am afraid he will be a little bit lost.

Buzz loved to get dirty. And now it is time for a nap. Sleep well, beautiful boy.

The beloved polar bears we lost in 2019

Fanny (Bam Bam)

We said goodbye to some very special bears this past year. Each one is unique, and a great loss.

Nord - age 17

Nord and his twin brother Felix were b0rn November 24, 2001 in Vienna, to Olga and Eric.

Nord died early in the year,  on January 8, 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. He had been treated for over a year for a behavioral problem that led to an ulcer on his foot, and his condition had deteriorated. 

Nord and Felix's father was Eric, and their mother was Olga, mother of Olinka. For a period of a couple of months, back in 2001-02, there were four cubs in Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna, newborn cubs Nord and Felix, and one year old twins Nika and Lloyd, all with the same father, and the mothers were mother and daughter.

Nord lived in Novosibirsk Russia for five years, then Moscow. He came to Tallinn in 2009

Nord was the father of Nora born in 2013, now in Vienna and a new mother.

Nord's son Aron was born in 2016 and the cub is still in Tallinn with his mother Frida. 

Nord's favorite drink was kefir, a yogurt drink. 

His twin brother Felix, father of Flocke, Milak, Gregor and Aleut and Charlotte, now lives in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.

Bam Bam (Fanny) - age 31

Fanny with my mother, at the Omaha Zoo

The last of the six Olaf and Olga offspring from the zoo in Omaha, Bam Bam died  on February 20.

Bam Bam and her twin sister Patches were born November 29, 1987. For 20 years, Patches and Bam Bam happily lived together in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, where they were born. They were separated in 2007, when Patches was moved to a much poorer enclosure in Erie Pa, for breeding purposes. Patches may have become pregnant, but no cubs ever survived. In 2013 Patches was moved to a much better environment, a new enclosure in the North Carolina Zoo, where she seemed to thrive, but died a year after moving in. That was five years ago.

Bam Bam, given that nickname because she liked to bang on the door to alert her keepers, was moved, not far from where she was born, to the Kansas City Zoo in the spring of 2018. At the time, the Henry Doorly Zoo was completely redesigning Bear Canyon, and all the residents had to move elsewhere. Bam Bam said goodbye to the only home she had ever known and moved in with her great niece Berlin, who was about the same age as Bam Bam. Berlin is the granddaughter of Bam Bam's brother Shep. The Kansas City Zoo enclosure is huge and grassy and a lovely environment for polar bears.

Bam Bam enjoyed her fine new home, and got along well with Berlin, but died at the age of 31 after developing liver cancer.

Bam Bam enjoying her favorite treat 

Bam Bam really loved her celery. Her keepers would throw a variety of fruits and vegetables into the pool, and she would always go for the celery first. She loved peanut butter too. 

She was very interactive with her fans, and would swim back and forth in front of the glass so she could study them.

Olaf and Olga were the first polar bears I ever saw. I was happy to bring my mother to meet Bam Bam, one of their cubs. Bam Bam was very gracious to my mom, and paid her a great deal of attention.



Nuuk-Nordman - age 25

Nuuk - also called Nordman

Nuuk - Nordman died in March at Skandanavisk Dyrepark in Kolind Denmark at the age of 25 years. 

He and his twin sister Ilka were born on December 2, 1993 in  Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden. He was given the name Nordman. 

While in Sweden, he met a young wildborn bear named Huggies, and he fathered a cub with her in 2001. Huggies and the cub Freedom moved to the Netherlands shortly thereafter. Ilka and Nordman stayed in Kolmarden until January of 2006 when they moved to the newly opened Skandanavisk Dyrepark. The zoo in Kolmarden had decided to not keep polar bears anymore, and there was a brand new zoo waiting for them. In Denmark, he was renamed Nuuk. At the same time, a 4 year old cub bear named Nanok also moved to the new Skandanavisk Dyrepark, which had room for many bears. Nuuk and Nanok became inseparable, except during breeding season when Nanok spent all his time with Nuuk's sister Ilka, which produced some cubs. 

Nuuk and Nanok

Skandanavisk Dyrepark with room to roam

Nuuk and Ilka's mother CW was twin sister to Elvis, father of the famous Tips and Taps hybrid bears in Osnabruck. Elvis and CW were born in Memphis Tennessee. Nuuk and Ilka's grandfather Bruno (in Memphis) was also the grandfather of Cincinnati's Anana, and twins Kiska and Kolluk of Albuquerque.

Nuuk and Ilka's father Imarac was half brother to Churchill, Kara, Lisa, and Mirsha, so they were first cousins of Boris of Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Knut's father Lars, and many other polar bears of Europe.

Nuuk and Ilka were also younger siblings of the late Manasse of Finland, and the late Yukihime, and Baffin of Japan

Nuuk leaves a legacy of descendants. He fathered one cub, Freedom, with Huggies. Like her mother, Freedom is a prolific mother. She has recently given birth to another set of twins in Ouwehands, the Netherlands. She is also the mother of new father Sprinter, twins Taiko and Sesi of France, and twins Sura of Ouwehands and Akiak of Rostock. 

Nuuk passed away peacefully in his sleep. I am sure his good friend Nanok misses him greatly.


Bora - almost 33 years old

Born in Vienna, Bora spent ten years in Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic, but most of her life in Prague.  She had one cub, Berta, who still lives in Prague with her mate Tom.


Nika - age 19

Nika

Nika died on her 19th birthday in Zoo Karlsruhe in Germany, gone much too soon, much too young. 

She and her twin brother Lloyd were born November 26, 2000, in Vienna to Olinka and Eric. 

Nika came to Karlsruhe in early 2002 when she was little more than a year of age. Both Nika and Lloyd left Vienna shortly after Olinka's mother Olga gave birth to another set of twins, Nord and Felix, in the same zoo with same father, Eric. 

While Lloyd went to the new Zoo Am Meer in Bremerhaven, Nika came to the brand new polar bear habitat in Zoo Karlsruhe, along with two young males, one year old Vitus from Rostock and one year old Kap from Moscow. A year later, ten year old Larissa came from nearby Stuttgart.

Kap left for Neumünster several years later, but the other three stayed in Karlsruhe, and Nika grew up with Vitus. The  three bears got along well, wrestling, chasing each other, and playing games in the large habitat.

Nika, Vitus and Larissa having fun

 Nika and Larissa were very close, and often took naps near each other.

Nika and a sleeping Larissa

There were hopes every year that Nika would have cubs, but it never happened, and several years ago, tests showed that Vitus was sterile. So Vitus and Larissa moved to Neumünster, and Kap came back to Karlsruhe in the spring of 2017.

Again, there were hopes that Nika would produced cubs, this time with Kap, but along they got along well, it just didn't happen, and now she is gone, all too soon.

Nika had been troubled for several years by ulcers on her back leg. She kept worrying at it, chewing on it. The vets tried everything, even put some blue substance on it to keep her from chewing. Her condition deteriorated suddenly, and the decision was made to prevent further suffering.

As an offspring of Olinka, Nika was related to some American bears. She was the great granddaughter of Olaf and Olga of the Omaha Zoo, as Olinka's father was the late Omaha, one of the six offspring of Olaf and Olga, brother to Bam Bam, who also died this year. 

Blizzard - age 5

A five year old bear named Blizzard died while being examined at the Journey to Churchill at Assiniboine Park Zoo in Canada. He had come to the zoo with his twin sister Star as a year old orphaned cub, having been picked up by a helicopter. He had recently been unwell, not eating, and had been put under anesthesia to assess his condition, and was given antibiotics. He was doing well, then his condition worsened again, and he was again put under anesthesia, but did not come out of it. There may have been some heart abnormalities.

There are nine other young rescued polar bears at Assiniboine Park Zoo.



Lutyik - almost age 19

Twins Liya and Lutyik were born December 9, 2000, to Uslada and the late Menschikov in St. Petersburg Russia. Uslada and Menschikov had 16 cubs, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren throughout Russia, Europe and Japan.

Lutyik of the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage died October 13, at nearly 19 years of age. He was born in St. Petersburg, and moved to Australia when he was just a cub, living there for five years with his sister Liya.

In Alaska, Lutyik was paired with Ahpun, but no cubs ever appeared and Ahpun died in early 2018.

Later in 2018, Lutyik welcomed a new companion, Cranbeary, to Anchorage.

Lutyik was suffering from a tumor on his kidney.  

Liya- age 19

As the year closes, we have just heard the sad news that Lutyik's twin sister Liya of Sea World Gold Coast in Australia has died suddenly and mysteriously. She was only 19. She was mother of Henry, born in the summer of 2012 and Mishka, who was born in the summer of 2017 and still lives in Australia. With the death of Liya, there are only theee polar bears in Australia: Mishka and her father Hudson, and another male named Nelson, who fathered Henry, now in Canada.

Rest in Peace, beautiful bears.

Nancy, a sudden loss

Nancy - ein plötzlicher Verlust

Nancy in a favorite resting spot at the Berlin Zoo

The three ladies of the Berlin Zoo are now two ladies. Nancy died overnight, quite suddenly. The officials are performing an autopsy to find the cause. Nancy's keepers said she was acting normally yesterday, and they just found her lifeless body on the rocks yesterday, as if she were still sleeping.

Die drei Damen des Berliner Zoos sind jetzt zwei Damen. Nancy starb über Nacht, ganz plötzlich. Die Leitung des Zoos werden eine Autopsie veranlassen, um die Ursachezu finden. Nancys Tierpfleger sagte, sie sei in der Regel auch gestern normal verhalten, und sie heute morgen fanden sie den leblosen Körper auf den Felsen liegend, als ob sie noch schliefe, in der ihr üblichen Haltung, auf der Seite liegend.

From bottom to top, Tosca, Katjuscha
 and Nancy, who was trying to take a nap

Nancy on the rock, Katjuscha walking

The loss of Nancy leaves only Tosca, age 28, and Nancy's half sister Katjuscha, age 30, at the Berlin Zoo.

Der Verlust von Nancy hinterlässt nun Tosca, Alter 28, und Nancys Halbschwester Katjuscha, Alter 30, im Berliner Zoo.

Nancy in late August

Nancy was born December 13, 1989, to Nina and Willie at the Karlsruhe Zoo, one of four surviving cubs to be born that year at that zoo. The other three, with the same father were Anton, Antonia, and Hellensia.

Nancy wurde geboren am * 13. Dezember 1989 von Nina und Willie im Karlsruher Zoo, einer von vier überlebenden Jungtieren, welche in diesem Jahr in diesem Zoo geboren wurden. Die anderen drei, mit dem gleichen Vater waren Anton, Antonia und Hellensia.

Nancy in spring of 2011

Nancy would have been 25 years old in December

Nancy moved to the Berlin Zoo on May 16, 1991, when she was 17 months old, and she remained there the rest of her life. She had no cubs.

Nancy zog in den Berliner Zoo am 16. Mai 1991, als sie 17 Monate alt war, und sie blieb dort für den Rest ihres Lebens. Sie hatte keinen Nachwuchs.

Nancy

When I visited the zoo in August, I saw a lovely vision of friendship, with Nancy licking Tosca's ears. That unusual behavior showed how fond they were of each other.

Bei meinem Besuch im Zoo im August 2014, sah ich eine schöne Vision der Freundschaft, mit Nancy, die häufig an Toscas Ohren leckte. Das ungewöhnliche Verhaltenzeigte, wie liebevoll sie miteinander umgingen.

Nancy liked to lick Tosca's ears, a sign of a close friendship

German translation thanks to Marga Andresen-Gransow