The last days of Koluk

 

Koluk two weeks ago

When visitors enter ABQ Biopark in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the first thing they see is a huge marquee photo of polar bear brothers Kiska and Koluk above the entrance gate.

Above the ticket taking booths at ABQ Zoo, the polar bears greet you.

Now news has come that one of those gorgeous bears, Koluk, has passed away.

When I visited ABQ Biopark in Albuquerque two weeks ago, I couldn't guess that one of the twin brother bears I had come to see would be gone so soon.

I had planned to wrote a piece on my visit to the bear brothers in the desert, and I still will do that, but sadly, I must write a farewell to Koluk, the most handsome of polar bears. 

Kiska is front, Koluk in back

Koluk and Kiska were born in Salt Lake City in November of 1996, so they were both getting up there in years, but both of them looked pretty hefty and healthy for male bears of 26 years. However, I could tell that something was up with Koluk, for his fur, usually green with algae from all his swimming, was white. He hadn't been in the water for quite awhile. His movements were slower. He kept to himself. He was just not his fun-loving self.

Koluk's fur was white, not its usual algae green.

 Koluk spent much more time behind the scenes than his twin brother. While Kiska was out and about and having fun, Koluk had hidden himself away much of the time. Even when the keeper threw the special daily treat of Rainbow Trout into the water, Koluk didn't want to wade in to retrieve it. But wade in he did, with a complaining look, and got the fish.

Koluk did wade in a bit to get the rainbow trout.

Koluk then retreated onto dry land to shake off and eat his prize.

Koluk, always the swimmer, would rather remain on shore during his final weeks. Kiska still dives right in.

I spent four days at the zoo, and on Monday, May 15, I waved goodbye to the the polar bear brothers, wondering if this would be the last time I would see Koluk, for I suspected he wasn't well.

The brothers on Mother's Day, under a brilliant sky. Koluk on the left.

I told the keeper, whom I had met last year, that I was worried about Koluk. He had slowed down so much, was staying out of sight mostly, and hadn't been in the water at all, which was not like him. She said that Koluk had shown some behavior changes for the past couple of weeks, but the changes were pretty recent and hopefully he should  get back to normal and be fine. 

Koluk

But on Friday, May 19, Koluk underwent an examination while under anesthesia, and the vets found that he had advanced liver and kidney failure. During the next week, they did what they could, but his health declined faster than expected, and he was released from this life on Friday, May 26.

He and his twin brother came from the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City to Albuquerque when they were just ten months old, so they have lived in the zoo in the desert for a quarter of a century.

Their mother was Chinook, descended from Bruno and Hilda of the Memphis Zoo, and as such they are related to a good number of European bears descended from CW, daughter of Bruno, her daughter Ilka, and Freedom, her granddaughter. Kiska and Koluk's father was Andy, descended from Becky and Herman Jr. of the Buffalo Zoo. 

 The ABQ Biopark Zoo (then the Rio Grande Zoo) enclosure was new when they came, has a lower pool and upper pool, as well as a waterfall and slide, which the bears would sometimes climb up.

Koluk in the water, as was his usual habit, last summer.

The brothers swimming together in June of 2022.

In their early days in ABQ, their young niece Anoki, daughter of their sister Aurora, came to live with them for awhile too. She is now living in Rochester NY, where she was born.

Koluk in the water, Kiska on shore, in June of 2022.

Koluk and Kiska were brothers of the late Anana of Buffalo, Brookfield, Cincinnati and Detroit, and half brothers of the late Aurora, and also Denali who lives in Japan and is father of eight cubs there. They were uncles of Luna of the Buffalo Zoo (daughter of Anana), and also Lee, Anoki, Peyton and Haley, children of Aurora.

Koluk was a handsome bear, with a magnificent head. He was chosen by Joel Sartore for his photographic Animal Ark, featured in National Geographic. 

He was playful all his life, and even sometimes threw balls and other toys over the fence to the visitors.

Koluk playing with balls, last summer.
 He was always one to have fun with his toys.

In 2019 he was diagnosed with a heart murmur. After that, when it was fish throwing time, the keepers would invite Kiska to do his cliff dive, but Koluk was restricted to getting his fish at ground level.

 

The last photo I took of Koluk (in back) on May 15. Eleven days later he was gone. Right after the fish throw, Koluk retreated into the bedroom area, all worn out. That's Kiska in front, ready for more adventures.

Kiska and Koluk are much like that other pair of twin brothers, Neil and Buzz in Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota, about a year older than Kiska and Koluk, together all their lives. When Buzz died a few years ago, Neil was alone, but before too long, an older lady bear named Nan moved in, and then three year old Kulu came along, and Neil was not alone any longer. Maybe a companion can be found for Kiska. If not, Kiska will be just fine on his own.

During my four days at the zoo, I noticed that Kiska had, in a sense, already moved on and was behaving independently. He did take note of his brother, and they spent some time together, mostly in the front cave area in the morning, eating breakfast together, enjoying the polar bear chow spread out for them with extra fruits and vegetables.  But Kiska spent his days in fun activities, tossing and destroying a barrel, swimming in the deep pool, doing his seven step pacing dance on the ledge (although not as much as he used to). Koluk sometimes came out to watch, but mostly stayed inside.

The polar bear brothers have been a big part of the ABQ Biopark Zoo for a quarter century, and Koluk will surely be missed by his many fans and friends, and especially by his keepers, who loved him dearly. 

Rest in Peace, big guy.

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.

Two polar bear tragedies, more heartbreak

March is the month for hope. Spring is coming, flowers are starting to bloom and the future looks bright.  But also, Beware the Ides of March. And really -- all of March.

This year in March, we lost two bears with big personalities, young girl bears that made us smile and had so much promise for bright futures. And now they are gone, Imaq in Denmark and Milk in Japan.

Imaq of Copenhagen, died this month.
She was only four years old

I don't know why the month of March has become a time for losing beloved bears before their time. For whatever reason, mating season, cubs emerge from the den, change in seasons, the stars aligning badly, we have seen too many tragedies in March.

The Nuremburg Four

The polar bear double enclosure at Tiergarten Nuremburg.

March 30, 2000, four female polar bears visiting Tiergarten Nuremburg temporarily from Zoo Karlsruhe were let out by some intruder, and were wandering about in the woods. To protect the public, the zoo decided they had no choice but to shoot them after attempts to tranquilize failed.  Nadine, Silke, and two other bears were killed. Nadine was the mother of Katjuscha and Antonia. Silke was the mother of Anton, grandmother of Wilbaer.  The four lady bears were visiting Nuremburg while the bear habitat in Karlsruhe was being rebuilt. They never got the chance to return home. 

Swimmer

In 2009, tiny Swimmer, emerged from the den with his mother Huggies and his twin brother Walker on that sunny spring day in Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands, and died within the week on March 23, having drowned after blood vessels burst in his chest. In a short time, the world had become enchanted with the videos of little Swimmer and his normal sized brother Walker. Swimmer was about a third the size of his brother, but seemed perfectly healthy. The brothers frolicked at the side of the pool, and Swimmer was just so cute.

Walker and Swimmer were destined for fame, as their birth and early weeks were filmed in the den for David Attenborough's "The Frozen Planet." 

 Here is a link to a story with photos about their first day out.

Huggies with Swimmer and Walker first day out

Then on that Monday, in front of so many visitors, Swimmer was in the pool, went under and did not come up. His mother dove in and brought his body to the shore, and everyone watched while Huggies and Walker grieved for the lost baby.  

Huggies still lives in Ouwehands. Walker lives in Highlands Wildlife Park in Scotland.

Knut

Knut the Dreamer, commemorative sculpture in Zoo Berlin,
by Josef Tabachnyk

Knut, famous cub of the Berlin Zoo who was only 4 years old,  died March 19, 2011, after brain incident, then collapsing into the pool and drowning. It was later found to be encephalitis. 

Knut and his twin brother were born December 6, 2006, to retired circus bear Tosca and father Lars. Tosca abandoned the cubs immediately, and the keepers rushed to save them. The brother died, but Knut rose to worldwide fame with photos and videos of his early life with keeper Thomas Dörflein.

Knut was immensely popular, quite a draw for the zoo. He lived with his keeper, then alone for a time. He was happy when young Giovanna came to live with him, but she left and went back to Munich. Knut then moved in with his mother Tosca and two other lady bears, Nancy and Katjuscha, where he was not terrible happy. On that fateful Saturday, in front an crowds of fans, he started walking in circles while on a rock in the middle of the pool, and then fell in. That was the end of him. An autopsy showed it was an inflammation of the brain, caused by encephalitis.

Now there are no polar bears at the Berlin Zoo. Lars, Tosca, Nancy, Katjuscha and Knut are all gone. But the lovely bronze sculpture of Knut the Dreamer continues to keep watch over the polar bear area.

And Knut continues to be a touchstone for all polar bear lovers, and inspired a community of fans and bloggers that continues to this day. 

Fritz

Fritz, photo by Tierpark Berlin

In Tierpark Berlin, four month old Fritz, son of Tonja and Wolodja, became very ill and died of liver inflammation on  March 7, 2017, breaking many hearts who had seen his adorable photos from the zoo. He seemed perfectly well for most of his short life, and we watched and waited for him to emerge from the den, but after a short illness, he died before he had the chance to venture into the world. 

In 2018, Tonja gave birth to Hertha, named after the Berlin Soccer team. Father Wolodja moved to Rotterdam, but Tonja and Hertha continue to live in Tierpark. 

Tips the Chocolate Bear

Tips of Osnabrück

March 11, 2017, we lost Tips, the beloved chocolate bear of  Osnabruck Germany, leaving behind her twin brother Taps to carry on alone. 

Tips and Taps were born in Zoo Osnabrück, Germany to European Brown Bear mother Susi and Polar Bear father Elvis, who was American born. It was a surprise, as it was thought at the time that polar bears and brown bears could not breed.

The brother and sister, sometimes called the Chocolate Bears, or Hybrid Bears, were a mix of the two parents. The Brown Bear part of Tips wanted to hibernate, unlike polar bears. She spent the winter of 2016-17 denned up, and emerged in early March, hungry, much thinner and able to squeeze through a crack between the bear enclosure and the silver foxes right next door, a crack which seemed impossible. But squeeze through she did, and finding herself outside the enclosure, didn't know what to do. She headed uphill, towards a path leading to the crowded zoo entrance, and the heartbroken keepers felt it was their only choice to shoot her to protect the public.

And now it is just brother Taps who lives in Osnabrück, alone with the silver foxes.

Tips (top) and Taps in 2012.

 Little One and Anana

Little One with Anana

Little One, the oldest male bear in the US at the time, died of old age on March 21, 2021, he was 31 years old. His death was not unexpected, but came on the heels of the news of the death of his beloved mate Anana in Detroit, just weeks before. 

Anana

Anana, who was born in the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City on December 12, 2000, led a life very much like a soap opera. She moved around quite a bit, experienced some romance, and her life was tinged with drama.

Young Anana  moved from Salt Lake City to Buffalo in 2002.  A mate, the handsome wildborn Nanuq, arrived in Buffalo in 2009, but Anana was very reluctant to warm up to him. She finally decided he was okay, and gave birth to cub in December of 2012 but showed no interest in her baby (Luna, still living in Buffalo). Father Nanuq had left Buffalo before the birth, and Anana left right afterwards, moving to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in early 2013.The Buffalo Zoo kept Luna's birth a secret as the keepers raised the little one, and announced it at a dramatic press conference in the spring. 

At Brookfield Zoo, Anana was alternately paired with old Aussie and his son Hudson. No cubs ever resulted from those meetings.

In 2016 Anana returned to the Buffalo Zoo, where her daughter Luna was now mostly grown, but of course she did not know her daughter. Still, Buffalo Zoo fans were delighted to see Anana again. In Anana's absence, the old bear pits she had known had been demolished, and there was a beautiful new double polar bear habitat, spacious and grassy, so she probably didn't even know she was back in Buffalo.

And then in 2016 Anana she was moved to Cincinnati, where hopes were high that she and a fine older male bear named Little One might have cubs. At first, things were off to a rocky start, as they couldn't stand each other. And then one day, after about a year, in a light bulb moment, Anana discovered that she adored Little One, and from then on they couldn't get enough of each other.

Sadly, no cubs resulted from this pairing, however Anana and Little One did have a fulfilling relationship during their three years together.

But Little One was elderly, and it was feared that yet another breeding season would be too hard on him, so Anana said goodbye to her paramour and went to north to Detroit, where gentle Nuka was waiting. And more drama.

She came to Detroit in early 2020, and had a good relationship with Nuka. Then, on that horrible day in February of 2022, she collapsed from previously unknown heart failure.

The two bears were on the ice pack when Anana collapsed, and Nuka tried to wake her by grabbing her head in his mouth, leaving some superficial wounds. Because of this and the blood, it was first thought that Nuka might have killed her in mating attempts. 

Several months later, the autopsy revealed that Anana had died of heart failure, and Nuka was exonerated. But this further news was not well publicized, and most people continued to believe that Nuka was guilty in Anana's death.

The real story was sent out to Detroit Zoo members, and I published that story, that Nuka was innocent, in my blog. The truth was not published anywhere else, so the original story was still what most people believed, even though it was wrong.

When Nuka moved to Toledo, his reputation preceded him, and people were concerned for their mother bear Crystal, but the truth was finally getting out there. Nuka and Crystal had a successful breeding season, and Crystal gave birth to twins.

The gentle Nuka, once falsely accused, has been exonerated. He has since returned to Detroit.

Milk

Milk (Photo by Yasuko Hatano)

Milk, the silly clown of a bear in Japan, was killed in a mating incident at Kushiro Zoo on March 1, 2023.

Ten year old Milk had been getting along just fine with the male, 14 year old Kiruro. On that day, an argument broke out between the two, and escalated. Keepers tried to distract them, using a fire hose. Somehow, Milk's neck was broken. 

Milk was born in Oga Aquarium in 2012, and was a favorite bear of the Japanese public, for she liked to clown around in silly hats, playing with toys in amusing ways, and often standing up like a little person. 

Milk's mother was Kurumi, and her father was Gota, son of Murma and Untai in Moscow. Milk had some well-known  uncles, for Gota is the brother of Rasputin of Tallinn, Kap of Hamburg, and Boris of Skandinavisk Dyrepark. Gota is also the father of two year old Fubuki.

The Kushiro City Zoo where Milk died was inundated with hundreds of bouquets of flowers from the many who mourned the loss of Milk, a very special girl indeed, and the flower tributes continued to pour in all month.

Imaq of Copenhagen

Imaq as a cub in Copenhagen Zoo

And now we have lost four year old Imaq, the delightful cub I met in 2019 in Copenhagen. She was the daughter of Lynn and Nord. In her curiosity in the afternoon of March 8, she broke through a steel gate and found an electrical installation, where she was electrocuted when she chewed on some wires. It was a freak accident, so tragic, and she was so young.

The Copenhagen Zoo is still has Imaq's mother Lynn, as well as Noel and her three year old daughter Inuvik, Imaq's half sister. 

Mother Lynn is the twin sister of Luka of Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Imaq's maternal grandparents are Huggies and the late Victor. Imaq's father Nord (North) was the son of Simona and Wrangel of Moscow. Nord, who died in Finland in 2021, was the father of Nissan, formerly of YWP and now in France, as well as cubs Imaq and Inuk in Aalborg, Beely and Sery of Paira Daiza in Belgium, and the two girls in Copenhagen.

Imaq's death was a freak accident, a sad event that will haunt many of us for a long time. She was a sweet, fun-loving girl. Rest in Peace, angel.

40 polar bears in 2023 in U.S. zoos

 

Crystal and her cubs in the den in Toledo

In commemoration of International Polar Bear Day on February 27, 2023, here's an update of the polar bears in zoos in the USA.

A few bears have moved, we have lost some precious polars, and there are some young ones. 

We now have 20 zoos holding 40 polar bears - 21 females and 19 males (updated).

Sad losses

33 year old Berlin, the oldest US zoo polar bear at the time of her death, died January 11, 2023 in the Kansas City Zoo. She and her twin brother the late Yukon were born in 1989 in the Cincinnati Zoo. She lived much of her life in the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth Minnesota until it was flooded in 2012. She escaped but was recovered and spent some time in the Como Zoo before going to Kansas City.

Berlin during her time at the Como Zoo

                                         (photo by my daughter Corinna Troth)



15 year old Anana, daughter of Crystal and the late Marty, and twin sister of Aurora, died in the Columbus Zoo October 12, 2022. She had been born in Toledo, and was the mother of Amelia Gray.

Anana with daughter Amelia Gray
in 2017 in the Columbus Zoo.

Blizzard, a wildborn rescued cub, died at age 26 in May of 2022, at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington, after a battle with cancer. He shared much of his life with Boris, the rescued circus bear.

Marty of the Toledo Zoo

Marty, father and grandfather of almost all the younger generation of bears, died in the Toledo Zoo on November 4, 2021, just short of his 25th birthday. He had been born in the Brookfield Zoo.

Snow Lily in 2013 at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

 37 year old Snow Lily died September 24, 2021, at the Milwaukee County Zoo. She was the oldest of our bears at the time. The Milwaukee County Zoo now has no polar bears. 

Anana, front, died in February of 2021 at the Detroit Zoo. Little One, behind Anana, died a month later in Cincinnati.

 

    Anana, born in Salt Lake City, died February 8, 2021, in another tragic loss. Luna's mother Anana had moved from Cincinnati to Detroit in early 2020, and on February 8, 2021, was found dead of heart failure. She was so young at just 20 years. At first it was thought that gentle Nuka was responsible, for Anana had some bloody wounds around her head and neck, but an autopsy confirmed that the wounds were superficial, and Nuka was just trying to awaken his dead princess. 

Little One died March 21, 2021, at age 31 the oldest male polar bear at the time. The Cincinnati Zoo now has no polar bears. The area is being rebuilt as a North American habitat with black bears expected to be in residence. 

Buzz in Como Zoo, 2016.

Buzz, twin brother of Neil, died at the age of 24 in August of 2020 at Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota. Brother Neil still lives at Como, now with two other bears. The twin brothers were born in the Louisville Zoo December 9, 1995.

Blizzard and Boris at Point Defiance Zoo in 2018

Boris, the rescued circus bear and last survivor of the Suarez Six, died in September of 2020 in the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington. Boris had been born in Rostock, Germany. Despite his many years of suffering in the Mexican circus, he lived to the ripe old age of 34.

Moving around

Maryland has sent its two young girls to other zoos, and the grizzly bears have taken over the polar bear habitat at the Maryland Zoo. They no longer have polar bears. Amelia Gray has moved to Portland where she now lives with her sister/cousin Nora, previously of Salt Lake City. Neva moved from the Maryland Zoo to Salt Lake City, where she now lives with Nikita. 

Hope, who lived in Salt Lake City with niece Nora, was moved to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, where she now lives with Hudson.

Nikita moved from the North Carolina Zoo to the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. Payton moved from the Memphis Zoo to take his place in North Carolina.

Nuniq moved from the Henry Vilas Zoo to the Kansas City Zoo. Bo, growing up, moved from the Toledo Zoo to the Henry Vilas Zoo to be with Berit.

Kulu left his mom Aurora in Columbus and moved to the Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota, where he lives with the two oldest bears, Nan and Neil.

Fewer zoos with polar bears

The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska gave up its great history of polar bear keeping several years ago, sending elderly Bam Bam to Kansas City, where she later died.  There are now no polar bears in Omaha.

The Maryland Zoo has given up polar bear keeping, with the departure of Amelia Gray and Neva.

With the death of Little One, there are no more polar bears at the Cincinnati Zoo. The Bear Hill area is being remade into a North American Habitat.

With the death of Snow Lily, the Milwaukee County Zoo has no polar bears.

Not that many years ago, there were polar bears in San Francisco, Denver, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, SeaWorld San Diego, Tucson, Providence RI, Worcester MA, Bronx Zoo and more. Now habitats are greatly improved, but there are fewer of them. Some zoos in the past might have had eight or more polar bears; now a zoo is lucky to have just one.

New habitats

In positive news, the Oregon Zoo in Portland has reopened its newly refurbished polar bear area, and Amelia Gray of the Maryland Zoo has joined her sister/cousin Nora there. Both girls were born in Columbus. 

The Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington, lost old Boris and then Blizzard, and the polar bear area was empty, but the news is that they are rebuilding a better polar bear habitat and plan to welcome new residents this year.

Some Statistics

Of the 19 living males, only two have fathered cubs: Lee is father of Kulu, and has just rejoined Aurora in Columbus in time for breeding season. Nuka is father of Astra and Laerke in Detroit, and spent the last year in Toledo, where he fathered another set of twins with Crystal. He has just left Toledo, and although his destination was not announced, the plan always was to bring Nuka back to Detroit. 

Three males, Kiska, Koluk and Neil, had been neutered many years ago.

Of the 21 living females, four have given birth: Nan (who is too old now), Crystal, and Crystal's daughters Aurora and Suka. 

Eight polar bear cubs have been raised by keepers to some degree: Luna of the Buffalo Zoo (rejected by her mother Anana), Kali of the St. Louis Zoo (orphaned cub rescued in Alaska), Qannik of the Louisville Zoo (rescued cub in Alaska), Nora of the Portland Zoo (mother Aurora neglected her), and Laerke of the Detroit Zoo (mother Suka raised one cub, but smaller cub was failing, needed medical help). Twins Tatqiq and Kalluk, and Chinook, all three of San Diego, were rescued in the wilds of Canada as cubs.

In addition, the newly arrived unnamed male yearling at the Alaska Zoo is being raised by keepers.

Seven of our US zoo bears were born in the wilds of Canada or Alaska: Nan of Como, the three bears in San Diego (Chinook, Tatqiq and Kalluk), Qannik of Louisville, Kali of St. Louis, and the new unnamed rescued cub at the Alaska Zoo. Qannik, Kali and the new cub, as property of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, cannot be part of the breeding program.

Supermom Crystal is the only polar bear we have who was born overseas, specifically Belgium. Currently, it is not permitted to import polar bears from other countries. Crystal's sister Blanche still lives in Monde Sauvage in Aywaille, Belgium, and Crystal has nieces and nephews in Belgium, Denmark and France.

The Oldest...

 

                            Nan and friend in 2014 in Toledo

28 year old Nan, short for Nanuyaak, was born in the Alaskan wilderness in late 1994.  She lived in Toledo for many years, is the mother of Nikita, and now lives in the Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

27 year old Chinook was born in the wild in Manitoba Canada in 1995. She came to the San Diego Zoo when she was about a year old. 

27 year old Snowflake was born November 28, 1995 in the Buffalo Zoo. She had spent most of her life at SeaWorld San Diego with her late German friend Szenja, with several periods in the Pittsburgh Zoo with male Koda, and now lives alone in Pittsburgh. 

26 year old Anoki lives in Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester NY, where she was born after living for some time in the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

Neil in 2014 in Como Zoo

As for the males, 27 year old Neil of Como Zoo is the oldest. He and his twin brother Buzz were born in Louisville December 9, 1995. Sadly, his beloved twin brother Buzz died in August of 2020. 

26 year old Kiska and Koluk were born November 19, 1996 in Salt Lake City. Since 1997, they have lived in ABQ Biopark in Albuquerque NM. 

The Youngest...

Births in the past seven years, 7 girls and 3 boys (if my guess about Crystal's cubs is correct), are all children or grandchildren of Marty and Crystal in Columbus:

Nora in Columbus, daughter of Aurora and the late Nanuq in 2015.

Hope in Toledo, daughter of Crystal and Marty in 2015.

Amelia Gray in Columbus, daughter of Anana and the late Nanuq  in 2016.

Nuniq and Neva in Columbus, son and daughter of Aurora and the late Nanuq in 2016.

Kulu in Columbus, son of Aurora and Lee in 2019.

Astra and Laerke in Detroit, daughters of Suka and Nuka in 2020.

Boy Cub? and Girl Cub? in Toledo, with mother Crystal and father Nuka. No names yet, and the gender of Crystal's twins has not been announced, so I am just going with my best guess for the purpose of this survey, based on the shapes of their faces, sometimes a good indicator, sometimes not, that they are a boy and a girl. Update: It is TWO BOYS!

And then there is the rescued orphan in the Alaska Zoo, a boy, no name yet, but he is about a year old.

            Young Kulu, right with Nan at Como Zoo in 2022

Laerke on right, with grizzly friend Jebbie in 2021

My survey this time is by zoos, from west coast to east.

Western:

San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo still has its three wildborn bears, 27 year old Chinook and 22 year old twins brother Kalluk and sister Tatqiq.

Chinook was born in the wild in Manitoba Canada in 1995. She came to the San Diego Zoo when she was about a year old. Two years later, cubs Neil and Buzz from Louisville joined her in San Diego. In 2001, wildborn brother and sister twins Kalluk and Tatqiq joined the group, and at the end of 2001, Neil and Buzz left. Since then, Chinook, Kalluk and Tatqiq have formed a stable trio at the San Diego Zoo. Chinook has never had cubs.

Twins Tatqiq and her brother Kalluk were born in the wilds of Canada in the winter of 2000. They came to the San Diego Zoo as young cubs. It was decided that Chinook would be mate to Kalluk, and Tatqiq would stay with her brother as a playmate. The three bears all get along well. Tatqiq has been on birth control, and thus is unable to have cubs now. 

San Diego bears Kalluk, Chinook and Tatqiq 

You can watch Tatqiq, Kalluk and Chinook on the zoo's polar bear cam. 

Oregon Zoo

In the Oregon Zoo in Portland, following several years of construction to improve the habitat, two young bears have arrived.  Seven year old Nora, daughter of Aurora, was raised by keepers in Columbus and lived for several years in Portland, before moving to Salt Lake City, where she was companion to her Aunt Hope, who is the same age. Hope has now moved to Brookfield. Nora has returned to Portland, and was joined last year by her six year old sister/cousin Amelia Gray, also born in Columbus, and who has lived in the Maryland Zoo for the past few years. Amelia Gray is the daughter of Aurora's twin sister the late Anana. The late Nanuq is the father of both Amelia Gray and Nora. 

Nora in the Columbus Zoo in 2016

Alaska Zoo

21 year old Cranbearry lives on her own in the Alaska Zoo. She has never had cubs. Cranbearry is the older sister of twins Nuka and Koda, so she is the aunt of two year old cubs Astra and Laerke in Detroit, as well as the new cubs in Toledo. She was born in November 21, 2001 in Denver.

In November, a one year old orphaned cub was found alone in Prudhoe Bay, and brought to the Alaska Zoo, where he was quarantined and is being cared for. He has not been given a name yet. Since the Alaska Zoo only has Cranbearry, an older bear, I expect that they will want to keep the youngster as a permanent resident.   

Hogle Zoo

The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City sent away young Nora and Hope, and welcomed 16 year old Nikita, who came from the North Carolina Zoo. Nora went to Portland and Hope went to Brookfield in Chicago. Nikita is the son of the late Marty and wildborn Nan. He was born November 21, 2006, in Toledo.

Newly arrived in Salt Lake City is six year old Neva, twin sister of Nuniq, who was born in Columbus Ohio on November 14, 2016. Neva and Nuniq were the offspring of Aurora and the late Nanuq. 

Nikita is the son of the late Marty, who was Neva's grandfather, which shows how limited the breeding pairings are in the U.S. 

ABQ Biopark 

In the ABQ Biopark (formely the Rio Grande Zoo) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we find the 26 year old Kiska and Koluk, twin brothers who have lived together all their lives. Kiska and Koluk were born November 19, 1996 in Salt Lake City. Since 1997 they have lived in the zoo in Albuquerque. Kiska and Koluk are brothers of the late Anana (of Buffalo, Cincinnati and Detroit), and half brothers of the late Aurora (mother of four) of Rochester, and of Denali (father of 8) of Sapporo Japan.

Kiska and Koluk in 2022

Midwest:

Kansas City Zoo

The Kansas City Zoo was home to Berlin, who just passed away at age 33. She leaves behind young Nuniq, six year old son of Aurora and the late Nanuq. Along with his twin sister Neva, Nuniq was born in the Columbus Zoo on November 14, 2016, to Crystal and Marty's daughter Aurora and the wildborn Nanuq, who was also father of Luna in Buffalo, as well as father of Aurora's first cub Nora, and Aurora's twin sister Anana's daughter Amelia Gray. 

Nuniq in 2017 in Columbus

St. Louis Zoo

Ten year old Kali was born in the Alaskan wilderness in late 2012. His mother was shot by a hunter, who realized there was a cub and tracked him down in his den. He was taken to the Alaska Zoo, kept there for a few months, and then flown to the Buffalo Zoo to be a companion for young Luna, who was being raised by hand. Kali now lives alone in a wonderful new habitat in the St. Louis Zoo. As a property of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, he cannot be part of the breeding program.

Kali in St. Louis in 2016, with his ice maker

Como Zoo

The Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota is still mourning the loss of Buzz, but his 27 year old twin brother Neil is being comforted by his new companion 28 year old Nan. Young Kulu is a new arrival there too. Como Zoo is home to the oldest female and the oldest male polar bears in the US, and also one of the youngest polar bears, Kulu.

Neil, Nan and Kulu in Como Zoo in 2022

28 years old Nan, short for Nanuyaak, was born in the Alaskan wilderness in late 1994. The cub was taken to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, where she stayed for five months.  She lived in the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma until she was six years old. Nan moved to the Toledo Zoo in 2001, where she gave birth to Nikita in 2006, with Marty as father, the same year Crystal gave birth to twins Aurora and Anana with Marty also as the father. Nan moved to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in 2017, where she lived with Marty's younger brother Hudson. Now she is in the Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota as companion to Neil, and now holds the honor of being the oldest polar bear in a US zoo. 

Neil

 Neil and Buzz were named after the first two humans to walk on the moon. They were born December 9, 1995 in the Louisville Zoo, then lived at the San Diego Zoo from 1997 to 2001. They have lived at Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota since then, except for a two year span in 2008-10 when they enjoyed living in Detroit while the Como Zoo polar bear habitat was being expanded and renovated. While they lived in Detroit, the boys loved playing with young cub Talini, daughter of rescued circus bear Bärle.

At Como Zoo, Neil and Buzz have played host to three grizzly bears from a flooded out Minot ND zoo. Later, they welcomed their niece Berlin, who also had escaped from a flooded zoo in Duluth. They shared their habitat with young twins Suka and Sakari while the cubs waited for their new exhibit at Henry Vilas to open.

Neil and Buzz come from the Louisville family of bears. Their older brother Icee was the father of twins Berlin and Yukon at the Cincinnati Zoo. Their older sister Ulu was the mother of Berit, longtime resident of the Cincinnati Zoo and current resident of Henry Vilas. Their parents also famously had rare triplets in Louisville in 1992, which included the late and much loved Aquila.  Neil and Buzz were neutered so they could stay together and not fight. At the time, it was thought their genes were well represented and there were plenty of polar bears. 

This lovely senior couple has recently been joined by youngster Kulu from the Columbus Zoo, now three years old. They all play together and have great fun. Kulu wears the oldsters out.

Kulu was born November 28, 2019 in the Columbus Zoo, a fourth cub for Aurora and a first for father Lee. Kulu's older half siblings are Nora, Neva and Nuniq, and Amelia Gray is his cousin.

Brookfield Zoo

Hudson and Hope are living together in the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Because of the limited gene pool. Hope, daughter of Marty and Crystal in Toledo, is paired with Marty's brother Hudson. That's right, Hudson is Hope's uncle.

Seven year old Hope was born in Toledo on December 3, 2015, to Marty and Crystal. She lived in the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City with her niece Nora of the same age for a few years and now is in Brookfield. She is sister to Aurora and Anana, Siku, Suka and Sakari, Bo, and is half sister to the new Toledo cubs and also to Nikita.

Hope in the Toledo Zoo in 2016

16 year old Hudson was born December 14, 2006, in Brookfield Zoo in Chicago to parents Aussie and Arki. Hudson still lives at Brookfield. Hudson is brother to Payton and the late Marty. 

Hudson in 2013 in Brookfield Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo

The other zoo in Chicago, Lincoln Park, is home to Siku, son of Crystal and the late Marty, and Talini, born in Detroit to the late Bärle, a rescued circus bear, and the late Triton.

13 year old Siku was born at the Toledo Zoo on December 3, 2009 to Marty and Crystal. He moved to the Louisville Zoo, where he lived, separately but next to  wildborn Qannik, and now lives in the Lincoln Park Zoo with Talini. 

Siku in 2013 in the Louisville Zoo

Siku is brother to Aurora and the late Anana of Columbus, Suka of Detroit, Sakari of Buffalo, Bo of Henry Vilas in Wisconsin, and Hope of Brookfield. He is half brother of Nikita of Salt Lake City and also Crystal's new cubs.

18 year old Talini was something of a miracle child. She was born on November 22, 2004, in the Detroit Zoo to rescued circus bear Bärle, her first cub and at an advanced age of 20. Bärle raised Talini, teaching her to "hunt" seals in the habitat's  pools. Talini lived with Nuka for many years, but there were no cubs, so she was moved to Lincoln Park  in Chicago several years ago to be with Siku. Tests have shown that Talini will probably never become pregnant.

Talini hunting seals in Detroit

It is believed that Talini's mother Bärle was born wild in late 1984 in Manitoba Canada, where she was captured and taken into the East German circus. She performed with other polar bears in the East German Circus, until some of the bears were sold to a Mexican circus with terrible conditions. Bärle and five other bears, including Boris, were rescued in late 2002 in Puerto Rico by the U.S Government and she was taken in by the Detroit Zoo, where Bärle recovered from malnutrition and neglect.  Two years later, Talini was born.

Henry Vilas Zoo

The grassy meadows of the polar bear home in Madison Wisconsin is home to Berit and young Borealis (Bo), son of Crystal and the late Marty, while he grows up. Berit is mostly past breeding age, and is one of the female bears probably made barren by birth control in the early 2000's.

24 year old Berit  and her twin brother Ulaq were born in Denver on December 28, 1998. The twins came to the Cincinnati Zoo as young cubs. Ulaq died rather mysteriously when he was four years old, and it was attributed to liver failure. Berit lived happily in the Cincinnati Zoo with Rizzo and Little One for many years, but never got pregnant. She used to curl up with Rizzo to take naps, and missed her friend when she moved away. Berit moved to the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin in 2016, first living with young girl cub Suka, and later with young Nuniq. Now she lives with young Bo. She is a playful babysitter for the young bears who come to live with her.

Four year old Bo, short for Borealis, was born December 9, 2018 at the Toledo Zoo. He is the son of Crystal and the late Marty. Crystal was born in Belgium. Marty and Crystal had seven cubs in Toledo, and now Crystal is raising another set of twins, fathered by Nuka. Bo is youngest brother to Aurora and the late Anana, as well as Siku, Suka and Sakari and Hope. 

Bo (left) and Berit in Henry Vilas in 2022

Memphis Zoo

Haley, daughter of the late Aurora and Yukon, has a new companion in Koda, who is the twin brother of proven breeder Nuka, who two years ago fathered twins in Detroit and just this year twins in Toledo. 

20 year old Haley was born November 15, 2002 to Aurora and Yukon in the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester New York. In 2005 she moved to the Brookfield Zoo where she was matched up with young Payton. The two of them moved to the Memphis Zoo in 2006. At the time, Cranbearry was living in Memphis, and stayed for four more years, but then Cranbearry moved to Denver, and is now in Alaska.  Haley and Payton never had cubs, and Payton has now moved to North Carolina. 

Haley in the Memphis Zoo in 2012

18 year old Koda and his twin brother Nuka were born November 25, 2004 in Denver, to parents Voda and Kavek. The twins moved to Pittsburgh when they were two years old. In 2011, Nuka moved to Detroit. In early 2021, Koda left Pittsburgh and came to Memphis. 

Toledo Zoo

Crystal, age 24, who is mother or grandmother of nearly all the younger bears in U.S. zoos, just did it again with the birth of twin boys. Crystal and the late Marty became parents of Aurora and the late Anana of Columbus, Siku of Lincoln Park, new mother Suka of Detroit and her twin brother Sakari of Buffalo, Hope of Brookfield, and Bo of Henry Vilas. Marty and Crystal are grandparents of Nora and Amelia Gray of Portland, Neva of Salt Lake City, Nuniq of Kansas City, Kulu of Como Zoo, and twins Laerke and Astra of Detroit.

Crystal with Suka and Sakari in 2013 in the Toledo Zoo

Crystal was born in November 10, 1998, in Monde Sauvage in Belgium. Her older sister Blanche was born in 1993, and is still there, never having left the zoo. Blanche is mother to son Nanook, now in Denmark, and daughter Qannik, who still lives with her mother, so these two are first cousins of all Crystal's cubs. Nanook is father to Danish Siku and Nuno in Denmark and Nanu in France, so Crystal has a niece and two nephews in Europe.  

Crystal's twins can be seen on a dencam set up by the Toledo Zoo.

The father of the twins, 18 year old Nuka, has just left the Toledo Zoo for another AZA zoo, although it has not been announced to where. But since the plan was always for Nuka to return to Detroit when Suka had weaned Astra, I expect that this is where he is. Also, there are only three proven fertile females in the US zoos. Crystal is busy with the twins, and Lee has just returned to Aurora in Columbus, so that just leaves Suka in Detroit.

Detroit Zoo

The Detroit Zoo is home to 10 year old Suka and probably 18 year old Nuka, and their twin daughters Astra and Laerke, 2020's only cubs in the USA, and none were born in 2021. Astra was raised by her mother, and twin sister Laerke was raised by keepers. For a time, a Grizzly cub named Jebbie came to Detroit as a playmate for Laerke, but he has grown too large and is now relocated to a sanctuary in Colorado. 

Papa Nuka looks over at Suka and Astra in 2021 in the Detroit Zoo

Nuka and his twin brother Koda were born November 25, 2004 in Denver, to parents Voda and Kavek. They both moved to Pittsburgh when they were two years old. In 2011, Nuka moved to Detroit as a mate for Talini. Then Talini moved to Lincoln Park, and Suka moved in. In 2020 Suka and Nuka welcomed twin daughters, Astra and Laerke.

In January of 2022, Nuka moved to Toledo to live with Suka's mother Crystal, whose longtime mate Marty had died. This would give more room Suka and her young cubs in Detroit. Now it seems that Nuka is ready to return.

Suka and  her twin brother Sakari were born November 21, 2012 in the Toledo Zoo to Marty and Crystal. The twins moved to Como Zoo in St. Paul, then to the new habitat at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin. Suka now lives at the Detroit Zoo. Before Astra and Laerke were born, Suka had given birth to cubs for the previous two seasons, but they did not survive. 

Columbus Zoo

Twin sisters 16 year old Aurora and Anana lived together all their lives, from the time they were born in Toledo, for several years in Pittsburgh and then their many years together at the Columbus Zoo. Tragically, Anana died last October.  The zoo's most recent male polar bear Lee had spent the past several years in Louisville, but now he has returned, so Aurora will not be alone. 

Aurora and Anana were born in the Toledo Zoo November 25, 2006, four days after Nan gave birth to Nikita in the den next door. The father was the same, Marty. The twins' mother was Crystal, who was born in Belgium. 

The Toledo Zoo was a busy place during those years, with Nan raising Nikita, and Crystal raising the twin girls. 

Twins Aurora and Anana moved to Pittsburgh in 2008, and to the new polar bear habitat at the Columbus Zoo in 2010. 

Aurora gave birth to Nora in 2015, who was raised by keepers.

In 2016, both sisters gave birth. Aurora had twins, Nuniq and Neva. Anana had Amelia Grey. The father of all four cubs was the late Nanuq, who had previously fathered Luna in the Buffalo Zoo with the late Anana.   Three years ago, Aurora gave birth again to a boy named Kulu with Lee as the father. Kulu moved to Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota in late 2021.

Mother Aurora with cubs Neva and Nuniq in the Columbus Zoo in 2017

23 year old Lee and his twin sister (North Carolina) Anana were born November 27, 1999, in Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester NY to Aurora and Yukon.

Lee has lived in Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago several times, in Milwaukee, in Detroit, and then in Denver with Cranbearry.  He moved to the Columbus Zoo in late 2018, and in 2019, Aurora gave birth to Kulu, a little boy cub, Lee's first.

Lee in the Louisville Zoo in 2021

Louisville Zoo

Now that Lee has left Louisville, it is just 12 year old Qannik there in Glacier Run, along with three grizzly bears. Wildborn rescued cub Qannik is the Ice Princess at the Louisville Zoo. As the Property of Fish and Wildlife, she cannot be part of the breeding program. 

Qannik at her birthday party in January of 2023 in Louisville Zoo

Qannik was born wild on the North Slope of the Alaska oilfields. She became separated from her mother and sister in a storm and was rescued and taken to the Alaska Zoo. A few months later, after she had gained some weight, she was flown to the Louisville Zoo where she still resides. Her birthday was assigned to her by Fish and Wildlife - as January 2010.  The Louisville Zoo always throws Qannik a big birthday party every January.

Eastern

Pittsburgh Zoo

Snowflake is on her own in the Pittsburgh Zoo, since Koda moved to Memphis. She lived for quite a time in San Diego. Despite many efforts, she has never produced cubs.

Snowflake in SeaWorld San Diego in 2015

27 year old Snowflake was born November 28, 1995 in the Buffalo Zoo. She spent most of her life at SeaWorld San Diego with her late German friend Szenja, with several periods for breeding (unsuccessful) in the Pittsburgh Zoo. Since Szenja's death, Snowflake had lived in Pittsburgh with her nephew Koda. Since Koda recently moved to Memphis, Snowflake has been alone in Pittsburgh. Her parents were Herman II and Becky. Her brothers were Andy (father of the late Anana); Arturo, who had been sent to Argentina and was the object of many petitions to improve his conditions; and Kavek,  father of  Cranbearry of the Alaska Zoo and twins Koda and Nuka. Snowflake was sister of the late Rizzo, who lived in Cincinnati and Salt Lake City. 

Buffalo Zoo

Buffalo Zoo is home to Luna and Sakari.

Sakari in 2017 in the Buffalo Zoo

10 year old twins Suka (girl) and Sakari (boy) were born November 21, 2012 in the Toledo Zoo to Marty and Crystal. The twins moved to Como Zoo in St. Paul, then to the new habitat at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison Wisconsin. Sakari moved to Buffalo in 2016, and Suka moved to the Detroit Zoo in 2018. 

Luna in the Buffalo Zoo in 2017

10 year old Luna was born November 27, 2012 at the Buffalo Zoo, and never left. Her father the late Nanuq had already moved to Columbus, and her mother Anana promptly moved to Brookfield Zoo, while Luna's birth was kept secret. Luna was raised by keepers. She was soon joined by a rescued Alaskan boy cub, Kali, as a playmate. During this time, the old bear pits were torn down, and a beautiful new polar bear habitat was built. Kali moved to St. Louis, and Luna's mother  Anana returned, only to leave again for Cincinnati, then later Detroit, where she died of heart failure. Sakari arrive in 2016, in hopes that the pair would produce cubs. So far, no cubs. 

Seneca Park Zoo

Anoki, daughter of the late Aurora and Yukon, was born in the Seneca Park Zoo, and now has returned there, living alone.

26 year old Anoki was born in Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester NY on November 20, 1996, the first of four cubs from Aurora and Yukon. Anoki has never had cubs. She lived for ten years in Rio Grand Zoo (now ABQ Biopark) in Albuquerque 1998-2008 with her mother's brothers, twins Kiska and Koluk.  From 2008 to 2018 she lived in Baltimore with Magnet until he died in 2015. When her mother Aurora, still in Rochester, died last year, Anoki moved back to Seneca Park Zoo so they would have a polar bear there. Her siblings are Haley of Memphis, and twins Lee, now in Columbus, and Anana now in North Carolina.

Anoki's mother Aurora was sister of Denali, who lives in Japan and has fathered many cubs there. 

North Carolina Zoo

Anana, daughter of Aurora and Yukon and twin sister of Lee, lives in the North Carolina Zoo with her new companion Payton, son of the late Arki and Aussie, and brother of Hudson and the late Marty.

23 year old Anana and her twin brother Lee were born November 27, 1999, in Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester NY to Aurora and Yukon.

Anana had spent most of her life alone in Lincoln Park Zoo, until she moved to Asheboro North Carolina to be with Nikita in 2014. Hopes were high that these bears would have cubs, but no results. Nikita has moved to Salt Lake City, and now Payton arrived in early 2021.

19 year old Payton was born in Brookfield Zoo November 8, 2003, the son of Aussie and Arki. When he was three years old, he and his companion Haley moved to the Memphis Zoo, until Payton moved to North Carolina two years ago. 

Payton in 2012 in the Memphis Zoo

The population seems to be stabilizing at 40, but the great concern is that most of the younger bears are part of the same family. We really need to change whatever federal laws are preventing the importing of zoo polar bears from Europe and Canada, or we will have no polar bears at all in our zoos in the next generation. 

Crystal's paw in September of 2022 in Toledo