My Polar Bear Friends and Friends of Polar Bears

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentines Day at the Cincinnati Zoo

Is Anana dreaming of getting to know Little One a little better?

It has been well over a year since Anana came to live with Little One at the Cincinnati Zoo, and it has been a rocky road to love. But now, after a year of hissing and growling and grufting at each other, There are signs of amiability, even friendship.

The keepers (and everyone else) are hoping for a love match between the two, which might result in cubs. Little One and Anana are related to very few of the other zoo bears, and as such, their genes are especially valuable.

In addition, 17 year old Anana has proven fertility, She has a five year old daughter named Luna living in Buffalo. Little One has never fathered a cub. At age 28, he needs to get busy with that.

The zoo has volunteers who sit by the polar bears, writing down all the bears' activities on clip boards. They are researching the road to romance for this pair, and so far, this year looks hopeful. Breeding season is just beginning. Last spring, these two bears were very unfriendly. This year, things have improved.

I have been told that in Buffalo, Anana was slow to warm to Nanuq, an older bear who eventually fathered Luna. Maybe Anana just takes awhile to get to know a new suitor.

Here is what I found when I visited Anana and Little One today, Valentine's Day, a good day for romance.

Anana gives Little One a friendly kiss

Anana runs away, while Little One looks on admiringly

The two bears take turns pursuing each other.

Little One submits, while Anana nuzzles him

Little One smiles at Anana's friendliness

They take turns with the rolly toy Here, Anana plays.

Taking turns sniffing

Looking at the papparazzi.

A little love bite

Little One looks longingly at Anana

Little One sniffs Anana here

And sniffs Anana there

Happy Bears at last

Friday, January 26, 2018

Hope's new adventure

Hope in front, and her mother Flocke, behind

For a polar bear cub born on the French Riviera, a move to snowy Sweden has to be quite a change, but Hope is up for a new adventure. Hope is now three years old, and it is time to move on. She has just moved to Orsa Bear Park, which is said to be a paradise for polar bears, and is reported to be happily rolling in the snow on her first day out yesterday. Hope was accompanied by a familiar keeper who will help her adjust to her new environment.

Hope at 5 months old

Hope was born November 25, 2014, when Flocke was almost 7 years old. Because Flocke had been hand raised by her keepers in Nuremburg Tiergarten in Germany, some worried that she might not know how to be a good polar bear mother, but her instincts have been perfect as she guided her daughter to independence.

Flocke and Hope swimming

Hope, the three year old daughter of Flocke and Rasputin, had stayed with her mother past her third birthday. Usually, mother bears become impatient with their young ones at the age of 2 or 2 1/2 and sometimes even younger, but Flocke has been very patient with Hope, treasuring the time with her.

Hope nuzzles her mother

But it is time for Flocke to be reunited with her beloved Raspi, and time for grown up Hope to be on her own, as in nature.

Hope and Flocke in the mother-cub area playing follow the leader

Rasputin is the same age as Flocke, and was born in Moscow, but came to Nuremburg when he was 11 months old as a companion to Flocke. They have been together ever since, moving to a brand new state of the art polar bear environment in Marineland in Antibes, France, in 2010.

Raspi, Raspoutine, Rasputin

Flocke and Hope shared living space for three years, rotating between the upper and lower enclosure at Marineland, while father Rasputin lived in his own in a separate but nearby enclosure.

Hope swimming and playing as her fans watch

Hope on the left, Raspi on the right.
There are communication holes in the walls between the pools.

Raspi could see, hear and smell his daughter through holes between the upper enclosures, and they always were very interested in each other. When Hope was in the lower enclosure, he could hike down into a trench to see her through the separating grid upon occasion.

Raspi on the other side of the grid visits with his daughter Hope

Marineland has three polar bear living areas, two with large pools, and one designed for a mother and cubs with a small pool. There are also two ice grottoes with ice machines manufacturing cold white stuff to keep the bears cool.

Hope rolling in the snow in the ice cave

Since Marineland has three enclosures, there was always the option of putting Hope into her own space if Flocke indicated she was tired of mothering. Instead, the separation will be much further, as Hope has moved this week to Orsa Bear Park in Sweden, where she will have acres of snow, lots of trees and ponds, and the Northern Lights, in a very natural setting for polar bears, even though polar bears are not native to Sweden.

Hope has always enjoyed lots of toys.
She probably won't have them in the natural bear park.
Instead, she will have lots of space and natural activities.

Hope and a favorite blue ball at Marineland

Another ball for Hope

Hope will spend her days sliding down snowing hills and rolling in snowbanks. In the summer, she can roam the woodlands, swim in the pond and roll in the dirt. Since Orsa is a natural park, she probably won't have the toys and balls that she enjoyed so much as she was growing up. Instead she will have many natural activities for a grown up polar bear.

I have not been to Orsa, but the photos and maps are impressive, and those who have seen it say that it is the perfect place for a polar bear. Orsa Grönnklitt is large and natural and the animals live in forested areas with varied terrain. It is Europe's largest predator park.

There she will join two older bears: 10 year old Wilbär, who was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and 12 year old Ewa, one of Huggies' triplets from the Netherlands.

Hope and her crazy egg

Hope and her water toys

Hope

Hope and her mother Flocke

Best of luck, little Hope, in your new home with your new friends. You are indeed a lucky bear to be living in such a wonderful park. And your parents will be happy to be back together again.

Sunday, December 31, 2017

A fond farewell to our favorite Australian

Aussie

As 2017 draws to a close, the end of the year has brought us news of another loss. Aussie, father and grandfather of so many American cubs, has died at his home at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, just two days before Christmas.

Aussie with Anana, a few years ago

At the age of 32 and a half, he was the oldest male polar bear in a North American zoo. He suffered from the ailments of old age, arthritis and other degenerative diseases that required treatment with painkillers. His health had deteriorated to the point that his caretakers thought it was best to euthanize him, to end his suffering.

Aussie relaxes in the grassy meadow of Great Bear Wilderness

He was quite a character, sometimes gentle, but sometimes bossy. He and his mate Arki got along well enough to produce a good number of cubs over the years. He was beloved by his many visitors, who came to know him well over the years.

Aussie stands lookout

Aussie was born on June 20, 1985, in Adelaide, Australia, and thus celebrated a rare summer birthday. His original name was BIAZ, for Born in Adelaide Zoo, but when he arrived at Brookfield at about the age of a 18 months, he quickly was nicknamed Aussie, because of his birthplace. And that became his name.

Aussie

At the end of 1986, Aussie joined young polar bear Arki, only six months younger than Aussie, at Brookfield Zoo. Arki had been born at the zoo, and her mother Trisha had died only a few months before Aussie's arrival. 1986 had been a tragic year, with the loss of three female polar bears, including Tricia and her daughter Penny, from unrelated causes.

Aussie

Brookfield Zoo wanted to rebuild its breeding program, and Aussie would play his part.

Aussie loved his naps

Over the years, Aussie and Arki became parents to Marty in 1996, Tiguak in 1999, Kinepak in 2000, Payton in 2003, and Hudson in 2006. Today, Marty lives in Toledo, Payton lives in Memphis and Hudson still lives at Brookfield. Tiguak and Kinepak grew up, but died in other zoos, sadly.

I visited Aussie several times, and the photos above are mine. However, my dear friend Kim Pruim is a devoted and frequent visitor of Brookfield, and kindly provided the photos below, taken over the years.

Aussie in the old Bear Grotto at Brookfield - photo by Kim Pruim

The outmoded bear grottoes at Brookfield were closed and the polar bears moved to the spacious and lush Great Bear Wilderness in 2010, where the bears enjoyed open spaces, grassy meadows, pools, waterfalls, and privacy if they so desired.

Aussie - photo by Kim Pruim

Arki retired from motherhood and moved to the Louisville Zoo in 2011, and that left just Aussie and Hudson. Then Female Anana joined them for a time, while her habitat in Buffalo was being rebuilt. Aussie and Anana had a complicated relationship, not always seeing eye to eye.

Aussie at his 30th birthday party - photo by Kim Pruim

Of their cubs, only Marty has produced offspring, but he has been prolific, making Aussie a grandfather to Aurora and Anana, Nikita, Siku, Suka and Sakari, and Hope. Aurora has produced three cubs in the Columbus Zoo: Nora, Nuniq and Neva, and Anana has produced one cub, Amelia Gray.

Thoughtful Aussie - photo by Kim Pruim

While it is wonderful that Aussie is responsible for so many cubs, one has to wonder where the mates will be for these bears, since most of the cubs under the age of 10 in this country come from Aussie and Arki. Only Luna and the two Alaskan cubs, Qannik and Kali, are not related to each other.

Enrichment - photo by Kim Pruim

Recently Nan, who is mother to one of Marty's cubs, came to Brookfield as a mate for Hudson. Aussie and Nan got along fairly well.

Aussie chases Nan, just this past May - Photo by Kim Pruim

My friend Kim has known Aussie since she was a baby. She visited Aussie often, and in the past few years, each time wondered if it would be the last time she would see him. She and another friend visited Aussie the day before he left us, not realizing the end was so near.

Aussie sneers - photo by Kim Pruim

Kim writes, "Aussie has been a part of my life since 1996, when I was a year old. When I met his last offspring Hudson for the first time in 2008, that's when I really began to appreciate Aussie (as well as other polar bears) more. Through the years, I have made many visits to the Brookfield Zoo to visit Aussie and to photograph him.

"A highlight for me was the one and only time I got to see him behind the scenes, back in 2012. I shared a brief one-on-one moment with him. I quietly called his name as I knelt down next to the mesh, and we looked into each others eyes. That was a sweet moment I'll never forget.

"With no knowledge of his arthritis worsening, I managed to see him the day before he was euthanized. Though it made his passing harder for me, I feel very lucky that is was among the last of his visitors. He was my favorite old man and Brookfield Zoo will not the same without him."

Aussie daydreams - photo by Kim Pruim

Aussie reflection
- Kim's last photo the day before he died
Photo by Kim Pruim

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Santa's gifts to the animals at the Cincinnati Zoo

Santa outside the brand new gorilla home

Every year, Santa listens to the wishes of the children who come to visit him at the Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo. Then one day, just before Christmas, he visits some of the animals of the zoo to bring them some special enrichment. This year he brought his animal surprises on Friday morning, December 22.

Santa brought sweet surprises in a plastic container wrapped in a jute bag

This year he visited Gladys, M'linzi and Samantha at the new gorilla house, the cougars and the snow leopards at Cat Canyon, and the Komodo Dragon, who often is forgotten about as he is tucked away behind the lemurs.

Carrots make a nice wreath decoration at the new gorilla enclosure

Santa brought carrot wreaths and jute bags filled with sweet surprises for the gorillas. Long after the fruit is gone, the gorillas will have fun with the gunny sacks, playing with them, wearing them for hats, and dragging them around.

The cougars are excited by the paper mache toys

The cougars got paper mache candy canes, for they love to play with paper mache. The cougars rubbed their faces all over the candy canes and got the red paint on their fur.