Are they separated right now?
North American Polar Bear Population 2022
- Thread starter MidwestFan
- Start date
If they go to a non-breeding institution for a few years, I hope it's Maryland. But ideally I'd like to see both bears go into breeding situations, as that's what the population needs. Same thing with Amelia Gray at Oregon- there's absolutely no reason for her to be there.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
Agreed. There is NO reason Amelia should be anywhere near Oregon. Considering Maryland has denning space and is planning an expansion of the bear exhibits it’s a little surprising she’s gone. She doesn’t have a breeding recommendation yet for next spring so let’s hope some of these females have cubs and free up Koda, Payton, or Lee for her. However Baltimore is much closer to all of those locations so it’s more logistically challenging now.
We're also at the point with this population that the maximum number of breeding pairs should be a main priority- desire for polar bears in collections is larger than the current population, which is still decreasing on the yearly. While I fully acknowledge this isn't the best option, they could even move Amelia to the zoo I recommended in my hypothetical polar bear SSP, and pair her with Borealis at Henry Vilas Zoo. This would take two individuals who aren't in breeding situations and place them into a breeding pair, hopefully producing cubs. This would also leave Berit available to move to, say, Maryland or Point Defiance. The way I see it, there are two possible problems the polar bear SSP will have twenty years from now:
1. There aren't any polar bears in US Zoos save the occasional orphans being kept at a very select handful of zoos.
2. The population is experiencing the effects of inbreeding depression.
I don't know about you, but I'd much rather see the second problem than the first, and this would require creating breeding pairs at all costs- even ones with kinships of 0.25
I was suggesting that Amelia reside in Louisville for a few years, not necessarily for breeding.
If they were to attempt to breed her, I think sending Qannik to a place like Maryland and or or Lee to another facility for breeding after conception could be feasible and not unwise, either.
When is the expected timeframe for when it may be announced that one or more of the polar bears is pregnant?
Are Detroit's females separated?
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Zoos don’t announce pregnancies for this species because they generally can’t confirm pregnancy themselves.
Yes, Laerke was initially handraised and later peer-reared with grizzly bear cub, Jebbie. She’s now living on her own, though. While her littermate, Astra, is being raised by their mom, Suka.
Yeah, due to delayed implantation, it is extremely difficult for zoos to predict polar bear pregnancies. With a lot of species there are tests/hormone levels to determine pregnancy, but delayed implantation makes this impossible in polar bears. I'm also not exactly sold with the idea zoos should be announcing pregnancies to begin with, but I digress.
We've officially entered November, which means that it's polar bear denning season! I'm hopefully optimistic that we will see a successful year- but am also not holding my breath for a successful year either. We do have a number of potential births, however, with potential cubs at: Toledo, Columbus, Hogle, Buffalo, Brookfield, and Memphis. Slightly less likely but feasible would be North Carolina, Lincoln Park, and Henry Vilas Zoos.
Personally, what I would love to see is a year in which the population breaks even- with deaths and births being equal (or, even better, a population increase). So far this year, there have been two deaths in the US polar bear population, so what I'm personally hoping for is, at a minimum, two of these bears to produce single cubs, or one successful set of twins. If either of these happen, I would be thrilled! The last thing we need is a second year in a row with zero births.
Personally, what I would love to see is a year in which the population breaks even- with deaths and births being equal (or, even better, a population increase). So far this year, there have been two deaths in the US polar bear population, so what I'm personally hoping for is, at a minimum, two of these bears to produce single cubs, or one successful set of twins. If either of these happen, I would be thrilled! The last thing we need is a second year in a row with zero births.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
You said it brother. This year we already have confirmation that each Memphis, Columbus, and Hogle already have a female denning. Still waiting to hear from other zoos, but at least these three have good potential.
Keep in mind a lot of zoos will den their female polar bear if there is a possibility of cubs, not just if cubs are a certainty. Yes, I'm glad to see some female bears are denning, but don't expect all three of these zoos to produce cubs purely due to this fact. Only time will tell, and I'm certainly hopeful for at least two births.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah ofc, most females den if they’ve bred, Berit even dens without it. It’s just good to know some are, Luna didn’t even basically at all last year.
One scenario I could possibly see is that Qannik could be transferred to a zoo that was forced out of the species (i.e Point Defiance or Maryland), and then they could bring over Amelia Gray to breed with Lee.
Not a bad idea if the artificial insemination at Columbus was successful. If it wasn't successful, Lee needs to return to Columbus next year to breed with Aurora. There are currently multiple un-paired males though that Amelia Gray could be paired with. They aren't perfect genetic matches, but that's inevitable at this point, but Kansas City, Como Park, and Henry Vilas zoos all have male bears without a female. Between Amelia Grey and the Detroit Girls, these males should also be brought into breeding situations.
Buffalo Zoo posted a video today of Luna enjoying the snow. Of course this means Luna isn't denning, so I think it's pretty safe to say no cubs out of Buffalo this year. Any updates on polar bears denning at other zoos?
What did everyone do the first morning after the snow fall last weekend? This is what Luna did!
| By The Buffalo Zoo | Facebook
What did everyone do the first morning after the snow fall last weekend? This is what Luna did!
| By The Buffalo Zoo | Facebook
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
That sucks big time. On the bright side Hogle, Columbus, Memphis, and Toledo have all stated that their females began denning. Hopefully this information is still true.Buffalo Zoo posted a video today of Luna enjoying the snow. Of course this means Luna isn't denning, so I think it's pretty safe to say no cubs out of Buffalo this year. Any updates on polar bears denning at other zoos?
What did everyone do the first morning after the snow fall last weekend? This is what Luna did!
Awesome news.
This is Hope's first time denning too so very exciting if she does eventually give birth.
Polar bear fan
Well-Known Member
Females typically start exhibiting denning behaviors in about October. Some females den later like Hope, and others den way earlier like Aurora who began denning in Late August/early September (from what I’ve been told) or Anoki who was always denned in September in Maryland. It’s kind of all over the map, but not all denning females give birth so some den peacefully for 3 months with no cubs while other den restlessly for a month. Due to how late she’s beginning to den we don’t expect cubs from her, but females could give birth anytime from November to January.
I'm at this point cautiously optimistic that cubs are a possibility at four zoos, and while I don't expect all four to produce cubs, I'm still optimistic that my personal hope for this population, a year where deaths and births stay equal for a year, will be achieved. The four zoos I am watching to see if cubs are produced, in order of likelihood are:
1. Toledo Zoo
2. Hogle Zoo
3. Columbus Zoo
4. Memphis Zoo