Polar bears in Europe

Nine-year-old polar bear Nora has died in Tiergarten Schönbrunn. Last week, she developed acute colic, which required surgical treatment. After this, she was closely monitored. Despite good care, her condition worsened in the following days. As there was no more prospect of recovery, it was decided to euthanise her.

Source: Facebook Tiergarten Schönbrunn Vienna
 
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At Tallinn Zoo, polar bear Frida gave birth to three polar bear cubs in the penultimate week of November. The weakest cub lived for just one day. The other two died before their first week of life.

Based on the autopsy and clinical tests conducted at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the cause of death of the polar bear cubs is believed to be meningitis and blood poisoning due to a difficult birth. The camera in the den showed that the first two polar bear cubs were born an hour and a half apart and the third nine hours later. The interval between the births was unusually long. This may have led to oxygen deprivation and consequent damage to the nervous system.

Besides the autopsy of the cubs, a detailed examination of the reproductive system of Frida was also carried out. The tests showed no abnormalities.

The Tallinn Zoo will also receive a recommendation to breed polar bears by 2023.

Source: Loomaaia jääkarupoegadel jätkus elujõudu vaid ligi nädalaks - Tallinna Loomaaed
 
At the end of October, 12-year-old polar bear Taiko moved from Zoo Budapest to Zoo de la Flèche. This left Budapest without polar bears. They have since carried out maintenance work on the polar bear enclosure. Yesterday, 8-year-old male Fiete arrived from Sosto Zoo. Which means Zoo Budapest now has a polar bear again.

Source: Facebook Zoo Budapest
 
MennoPebesma said:
At the end of October, 12-year-old polar bear Taiko moved from Zoo Budapest to Zoo de la Flèche. This left Budapest without polar bears. They have since carried out maintenance work on the polar bear enclosure. Yesterday, 8-year-old male Fiete arrived from Sosto Zoo. Which means Zoo Budapest now has a polar bear again.

Source: Facebook Zoo Budapest
Click to expand...

How is it possible that they keep getting polar bears in that concrete pit, they have all the chances to phase them out in what is likely the worst enclosure in the EU for polar bears....
 
The beginning of the year is a great time to make an updated version of the list. As always, if you see a mistake in the list, or you know more about one of the animals, please let me know.

There are currently 146 (59,87,0) Polar bears living in Europe (of what i could find).

AUSTRIA - 2 (1,1,0)
Tiergarten Schönbrunn Vienna (1,1,0)
1,0 Ranzo (18-11-2011, Ranua Wildlife Park)
0,1 Finja (09-11-2019, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)

BELGIUM - 7 (3,4,0)
Pairi Daiza (2,2,0)
1,0 Belij (22-11-2015, Izhevsk Zoo)
1,0 Szerij (22-11-2015, Izhevsk Zoo)
0,1 Nuka (26-11-2016, Aalborg Zoo)
0,1 Qilak (26-11-2016, Aalborg Zoo)

Monde Sauvage Safaripark (1,2,0)
1,0 Nanuk (24-11-2012, Zoo Brno)
0,1 Blanche (01-12-1993, Monde Sauvage Safaripark)
0,1 Qannik (25-11-2010, Monde Sauvage Safaripark)

CZECH REPUBLIC - 3 (1,2,0)
Zoo Brno (0,1,0)
0,1 Cora (27-11-1998, St. Petersburg Zoo)

Zoo Praha (1,1,0)
1,0 Tom (23-11-2007, Zoo Brno)
0,1 Berta (02-12-2003, Zoo Praha)

DENMARK - 14 (4,10,0)
Aalborg Zoo (0,3,0)
0,1 Malik (19-12-2000, Aalborg Zoo)
0,1 Inuk (05-12-2019, Aalborg Zoo)
0,1 Imaq (05-12-2019, Aalborg Zoo)

Kopenhagen Zoo (0,4,0)
0,1 Noel (03-12-2003, ZooSafari Fasanolandia)
0,1 Lynn (01-12-2011, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
0,1 Imaq (01-12-2018, Kopenhagen Zoo)
0,1 Inuvik (06-12-2019, Kopenhagen Zoo)

Skandinavisk Dyrepark Kolind (4,3,0)
1,0 Nanok (05-12-2001, Monde Sauvage Safaripark)
1,0 Boris (12-11-2005, Moscow Zoo)
1,0 Vicks (06-12-2010, Diergaarde Blijdorp)
1,0 Siku (22-11-2011, Skandinavisk Dyrepark)
0,1 Nuno (21-11-2012, Skandinavisk Dyrepark)
0,1 Nivi (12-12-2021, Skandinavisk Dyrepark)
0,1 Anori (12-12-2021, Skandinavisk Dyrepark)

ESTONIA - 2 (1,1,0)
Tallinn Zoo (1,1,0)
1,0 Rasputin (19-11-2007, Moscow Zoo)
0,1 Frida (16-12-2002, Tallinn Zoo)

FINLAND - 1 (0,1,0)
Ranua Wildlife Park (0,1,0)
0,1 Venus (09-12-2004, Zoo Rostock)

FRANCE - 14 (8,6,0)
CERZA Hermival-les-Vaux (2,2,0)
1,0 Pixel (16-11-2012, Dierenrijk)
1,0 Nissan (12-12-2013, Izhevsk Zoo)
0,1 Nicky (25-11-2015, Dierenrijk)
0,1 Simone (25-11-2015, Dierenrijk)

Zoo La Flèche (2,1,0)
1,0 Taiko (24-11-2010, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
1,0 Aron (26-11-2016, Tallinn Zoo)
0,1 Quintana (21-11-2016, Tierpark Hellabrunn)

Parc Zoo du Reynou Le Vigen (2,0,0)
1,0 Nanu (21-11-2012, Skandinavisk Dyrepark)
1,0 Todz (02-12-2014, Diergaarde Blijdorp)

Zoo Mulhouse (0,3,0)
0,1 Sesi (24-11-2010, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
0,1 Anori (04-01-2012, Zoo Wuppertal)
0,1 Kara (22-11-2020, Zoo Mulhouse)

Zoo d'Amnéville (2,0,0)
1,0 Henk (26-11-2005, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
1,0 Akiak (22-11-2014, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)

GERMANY - 27 (6,21,0)
Tierpark Berlin (0,2,0)
0,1 Tonja (14-11-2009, Moscow Zoo)
0,1 Hertha (01-12-2018, Tierpark Berlin)

Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven (0,3,0)
0,1 Valeska (09-12-2004, Zoo Rostock)
0,1 Anna (08-12-2019, Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven)
0,1 Elsa (08-12-2019, Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven)

Zoom-Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen (1,2,0)
1,0 Bill (23-11-2007, Zoo Brno)
0,1 Antonia (24-11-1989, Zoo Karlsruhe)
0,1 Lara (01-12-2004, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)

Tierpark Hagenbeck Hamburg (1,1,0)
1,0 Kap (16-10-2000, Moscow Zoo)
0,1 Victoria (15-12-2002, Tierpark Hagenbeck)

Zoo Hannover (1,2,0)
1,0 Sprinter (13-12-2007, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
0,1 Milana (16-11-2009, Moscow Zoo)
0,1 Nana (20-11-2019, Zoo Hannover)

Zoo Karlsruhe (1,1,0)
1,0 Lloyd (26-11-2000, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)
0,1 Charlotte (21-11-2014, Tiergarten Nürnberg)

Tierpark Hellabrunn München (0,3,0)
0,1 Giovanna (28-11-2006, ZooSafari Fasanolandia)
0,1 Nuna (07-11-2016, Zoo Mulhouse)
0,1 Nanook (04-12-2017, Zoom-Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen)

Tierpark Neumünster (1,1,0)
1,0 Vitus (02-12-2000, Zoo Rostock)
0,1 Larissa (05-12-1990, Diergaarde Blijdorp)

Tiergarten Nürnberg (1,1,0)
1,0 Nanuq (30-11-2007, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)
0,1 Vera (21-11-2002, Moscow Zoo)

Zoo Rostock (0,5,0)
0,1 Sizzel (02-12-2014, Diergaarde Blijdorp)
0,1 Noria (21-11-2015, Zoo Brno)
0,1 Lili (11-12-2015, Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven)
0,1 Kaja (14-11-2021, Zoo Rostock)
0,1 Skadi (14-11-2021, Zoo Rostock)

HUNGARY - 1 (1,1,0)
Budapest Zoo (1,0,0)
1,0 Fiete (03-12-2014, Zoo Rostock)

Sóstó Zoo (0,1,0)
0,1 Sneschana (10-11-2014, Moscow Zoo)

ITALY - 2 (0,2,0)
ZooSafari Fasanolandia (0,2,0)
0,1 Marissa (25-12-1993, Kolmarden Wildlife Park)
0,1 Grace (06-12-2012, ZooSafari Fasanolandia)

THE NETHERLANDS - 14 (6,8,0)
Wildlands Emmen (0,3,0)
0,1 Noordje (16-11-2012, Dierenrijk)
0,1 Nela (09-12-2013, Tierpark Hellabrunn)
0,1 Lale (16-12-2013, Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven)

AquaZoo Leeuwarden (2,0,0)
1,0 Felix (24-11-2001, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)
1,0 Rocky (11-12-2002, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)

Dierenrijk (1,2,0)
1,0 Wilbär (10-12-2007, Wilhelma Stuttgart)
0,1 Frimas (??-??-2002, Wild)
0,1 Elva (26-11-2018, Dierenrijk)

Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen (1,3,0)
1,0 Yuka (27-11-2019, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
0,1 Huggies (??-??-1993, Wild)
0,1 Freedom (06-12-2001, Kolmarden Wildlife Park)
0,1 Sura (22-11-2014, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)

Diergaarde Blijdorp Rotterdam (2,0,0)
1,0 Wolodja (27-11-2011, Moscow Zoo)
1,0 Nivi (26-11-2018, Dierenrijk)

POLAND - 2 (2,0,0)
Warsaw Zoo (2,0,0)
1,0 Aleut (02-12-2010, Tiergarten Nürnberg)
1,0 Gregor (02-12-2010, Tiergarten Nürnberg)

RUSSIA - 37 (15,22,0)
Bolsherechye Zoo (0,2,0)
0,1 Gulya (??-??-1989, Wild)
0,1 Zabava (06-12-2013, St. Petersburg Zoo)

Chelyabinsk Zoo (1,1,0)
1,0 Altin (??-??-2000, Wild)
0,1 Irisha ( 06-12-2002, Perm)

Gelendzhik Safaripark (1,3,0)
1,0 Sedov (29-11-2002, St. Petersburg Zoo)
0,1 Lapa (??-??-1992, Wild)
0,1 Snezhinka (??-??-2013, Wild)
0,1 Sereshki (??-??-2013, Wild)

Izhevsk Zoo (1,2,0)
1,0 Balou (??-??-2013, Wild)
0,1 Dumka (??-??-2004, Wild)
0,1 Purga (21-11-2017, Izhevsk Zoo)

Kazan Zoo (1,0,0)
1,0 Terpey (??-??-2002, Wild)

Krasnoyarsk Zoo (1,2,0)
1,0 Felix (??-??-2005, Wild)
0,1 Ursula (??-??-2017, Wild)
0,1 Marfa (??-??-2018, Wild)

Limpopo Zoo Nizjny Novgorod (1,1,0)
1,0 UD (29-11-1991, Kazan Zoo)
0,1 Umka Ayan (??-??-2016, Wild)

Moscow Zoo (1,3,0)
1,0 ? (??-??-????, ?)
0,1 Simona (27-11-1994, St. Petersburg Zoo)
0,1 Tompa (??-??-????, Wild)
0,1 Khatanga (??-??-????, Wild)

Novosibirsk Zoo (2,2,0)
1,0 Krassin (27-11-2007, St. Petersburg Zoo)
1,0 ? (??-??-????, ?)
0,1 Gerda (20-11-2007, Moscow Zoo)
0,1 ? (??-??-????, ?)

Penza Zoo (1,0,0)
1,0 Bely (??-??-2010, Wild)

Perm Zoo (1,1,0)
1,0 Seriku (??-??-2012, Wild)
0,1 Yumki (16-12-2012, Kazan Zoo)

Rostov-on-Don Zoo (1,2,0)
1,0 Aion (??-??-2009, Wild)
0,1 Kometa (24-11-2012, Zoo Brno)
0,1 Ajak (26-11-2020, Rostov-on-Don Zoo)

Leningradsky Zoopark St. Petersburg (0,1,0)
0,1 Chaartschaana (30-11-2016, Yakutsk Zoo)

Moscow Zoo Breeding nursery center (1,0,0)
1,0 Nikolay (??-??-2015, Wild)

Khabarovsk Zoo (1,0,0)
1,0 Almaz (??-12-2019, Yakutsk Zoo)

Yakutsk Zoo (1,1,0)
1,0 Lomossow (25-11-2011, St. Petersburg Zoo)
0,1 Kolymana (??-??-2011, Wild)

Yekaterinburg Zoo (0,1,0)
0,1 Anina (18-12-1998, Perm Zoo)

SWEDEN - 5 (2,3,0)
Rovdjurspark Orsa (2,3,0)
1,0 ? (30-11-2021, Rovdjurspark Orsa)
1,0 ? (30-11-2021, Rovdjurspark Orsa)
0,1 Ewa (26-11-2005, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
0,1 Hope (26-11-2014, Marineland Antibes)
0,1 Miki (03-12-2020, Rovdjurspark Orsa)

UK - 12 (9,3,0)
Yorkshire Wildlife Park (6,2,0)
1,0 Luka (01-12-2011, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
1,0 Nobby (09-12-2013, Tierpark Hellabrunn)
1,0 Sisu (21-11-2016, Ranua Wildlife Park)
1,0 Hamish (18-12-2017, Highland Wildlife Park)
1,0 Indiana (26-12-2019, Marineland Antibes)
1,0 Yuma (26-12-2019, Marineland Antibes)
0,1 Flocke (11-12-2007, Tiergarten Nürnberg)
0,1 Tala (26-12-2019, Marineland Antibes)

Highland Wildlife Park Kingussie (3,1,0)
1,0 Arktos (30-11-2007, Tierpark Schönbrunn)
1,0 Walker (07-12-2008, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
1,0 Brodie (13-12-2021, Highland Wildlife Park)
0,1 Victoria (12-12-1966, Zoo Rostock)

UKRAINE - 2 (0,2,0)
Nikolaev Zoo (0,2,0)
0,1 Zefirka (27-11-2011, Moscow Zoo)
0,1 Smetanka (08-12-2017, Nikolaev Zoo)

Besides this list, this time I have also made a short overview of what, as far as I know, happened within the European population last year.

Births
To my knowledge, no polar bears were born last year which are still alive today.

Deaths
To my knowledge, 2 polar bears died last year. Male Blizzard (15) and female Nora (9).

Transfers
To my knowledge, 9 polar bears moved to another zoo last year.

Number of holders
Last year saw a new holder for the polar bear. Since early 2022, Zoo d'Amnéville has polar bears again.
 
With all info found in this topic and the excellent work done on several websites, I made a pedigree tree off all the polar bears who are now living in Europe. The file can show all the offspring of an individual or show all the ancestors of an individual. I made it with de genealogy program for humans. If anyone is interested, I can send a gedcom file, which you can import in any genealogy program you like. Just send me a PM.
 
There is a new interview from the Warsaw ZOO that they have founds/declaration of the city to build a new Polar Bear Exhibit. The problem is that they don't have a place where they can move their:

1,0 Aleut (02-12-2010, Tiergarten Nürnberg)
1,0 Gregor (02-12-2010, Tiergarten Nürnberg)

until the new investment is ready.
The original plan was to send them to Russia but of course that won't happen now.

Additionally Chorzow/Katowice ZOO has their exhibit documentation ready (Pawilon dla niedźwiedzi polarnych) but still no info regarding the funding. Maybe something will change with the new UE 2021-27 budget.
 
At Copenhagen Zoo, 4-year-old polar bear Imaq died on Tuesday 7 March. She managed to break open an installation box after which she bit into one of the wires and was electrocuted. All indications are that she died instantly. The zoo has never experienced such an accident before and will now critically examine all installations in the polar bear enclosure.

Source: https://www.zoo.dk/s/nyheder/ulykke...QvPuprH6qBkm2L_kK6IXZQUC9W3r75Jy-gbjfKD8u4IzE
 
A polar bear was born at Tierpark Hagenbeck on 19 December 2022. The 21-year-old Victoria became a mother for the first time. The last polar bear born at Hagenbeck was Victoria herself. The two spent the first months completely undisturbed in their den. The first impression of the cub is very positive, it seems healthy, lively and alert.

It is not yet clear when visitors will be able to see the cub. To give Victoria and her cub more space, polar bear male Kap, the cub's father, will leave Tierpark Hagenbeck.

Source: Tierpark Hagenbeck
 
Polar bears Vera and Nanuq have moved from Tiergarten Nürnberg to other zoos. In their place are three young female polar bears coming to Nuremberg.

20-year-old Vera has moved to Zoo Hannover, where she will live with male Sprinter and female Milana. Their 3-year-old daughter Nana has moved from Hanover to Nuremberg.

15-year-old Nanuq has moved to Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna. Here he will live with male Ranzo. Ranzo's 3-year-old daughter Finja has moved from Tiergarten Schönbrunn to Nuremberg.

Later this month, another young female polar bear will complete the trio of new arrivals in Nuremberg. This will be 4-year-old Elva from Dierenrijk. Neither Vera and Nanuq nor the three young females currently have a breeding recommendation.

Source: Jung und weiblich: Der Nürnberger Tiergarten bekommt drei neue Eisbären
 
MennoPebesma said:
At the end of October, 12-year-old polar bear Taiko moved from Zoo Budapest to Zoo de la Flèche. This left Budapest without polar bears. They have since carried out maintenance work on the polar bear enclosure. Yesterday, 8-year-old male Fiete arrived from Sosto Zoo. Which means Zoo Budapest now has a polar bear again.

Source: Facebook Zoo Budapest
Click to expand...
Polar bear Fiete will soon leave Zoo Budapest. Where he will go has not yet been announced. After that, a new polar bear from Germany will come to Budapest.

Source: Facebook Zoo Budapest

MennoPebesma said:
A polar bear was born at Tierpark Hagenbeck on 19 December 2022. The 21-year-old Victoria became a mother for the first time. The last polar bear born at Hagenbeck was Victoria herself. The two spent the first months completely undisturbed in their den. The first impression of the cub is very positive, it seems healthy, lively and alert.

It is not yet clear when visitors will be able to see the cub. To give Victoria and her cub more space, polar bear male Kap, the cub's father, will leave Tierpark Hagenbeck.

Source: Tierpark Hagenbeck
Click to expand...
The cub is a female.

Source: Facebook Tierpark Hagenbeck
 
MennoPebesma said:
After that, a new polar bear from Germany will come to Budapest.
Click to expand...
Polar bear Lloyd from Zoo Karlsruhe left for Budapest this morning. He was actually supposed to move directly from Bremerhaven to Sóstó Zoo last year. However, construction work on the new enclosure there was delayed, so he stayed temporarily in Karlsruhe.

Completion of the new enclosure in Sóstó is now scheduled for this autumn, until then Lloyd will be housed in Budapest. A further stay in Karlsruhe was not possible, as some urgent renovation work is underway, allowing a maximum of one bear to stay there.

When these works are finished, male Kap will come to Karlsruhe from Hamburg. A cub was recently born there. As the facility in Hamburg is not suitable to house a male and a female with young at the same time, it was already agreed beforehand that Kap would return to Karlsruhe after successful reproduction.

Source: Zoo Karlsruhe
 
There is currently one Polar Bear in Ranua Zoo, Finland. Her name is Venus.
She's originally from Rostock.

Two of her cubs (Ranzo 2011, Sisu 2017) have survived and live now in Austria and UK.

They lost a male polar bear Nord in 2021 at age of 16. Nord was from Denmark.

Nord was not the father of Venus's cubs, but their earlier breeding male Manasse (died 2017). There is no publicly known plans to find Venus a new mate. She's now 18-years-old.
 
MennoPebesma said:
A new holder for polar bears in Europe! Peak Wildlife Park in the UK recently welcomed three polar bears from the closed Orsa Rovdjurspark in Sweden. They are 8-year-old female Hope and her two 1-year-old sons Nanook and Noori. The new enclosure will be open to visitors from August.

Source: Facebook Peak Wildlife Park
Click to expand...

Who is the father of the boys? I can't find any information about that.
 
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