Interesting decision, since I’m pretty sure it was said somewhere that Kallik and Kallu would be her last cubs and Crystal wouldn’t be bred again.
North American Polar Bear Population 2025
- Thread starter Elephant Enthusiast
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Interesting decision, since I’m pretty sure it was said somewhere that Kallik and Kallu would be her last cubs and Crystal wouldn’t be bred again.
USZOOfan42
Well-Known Member
Mixed on this, the good thing is that Toledo is excellent at breeding polar bears, hope this all goes well. If I recall correctly, Kali is a very “energetic” bear. Constantly out and swimming, etc. Will be fun to see him again!
I’m extremely excited for this move. Female polar bears can breed into their mid 30s, so there’s absolutely no reason why Crystal shouldn’t be able to have two or three more litters before she’s past her reproductive window.
With the current state of the US polar bear population, they truly need every single female breeding they can get. Crystal is extremely well proven, and Kali is a founder for the population. As long as Kali is up to it, I have no doubt he will get Crystal pregnant once they are introduced successfully, and they would be rather valuable cuts to the population!
With the current state of the US polar bear population, they truly need every single female breeding they can get. Crystal is extremely well proven, and Kali is a founder for the population. As long as Kali is up to it, I have no doubt he will get Crystal pregnant once they are introduced successfully, and they would be rather valuable cuts to the population!
Haley polar bear has moved from Memphis to Detroit: Memphis Zoo
I would assume we're going to be hearing an announcement about someone arriving in Memphis shortly with her departure. Fingers crossed someone with good potential of being successful with such a valuable male there.
The zoo responded in the comments that Koda will be the only bear at the zoo and that there are no plans to bring in another female at this time.
Huh. I hope that it's just them giving a PR answer and being tight lipped for the time being.
I don’t think so. There are not enough females of breeding age to go around. Besides Haley and Crystal, everyone else is already paired up.
Not quite. Amelia Grey in Oregon is unpaired, unrelated, and of breeding age. As is Nora, but as far as I understand - she is excluded from the breeding population.
In the next few years - we'll see a few other females hopefully being paired as well. Astra, Laerke, and Kova are all coming in on breeding age. And hopefully we'll see some younger males such as Nuniq, Kulu, Kallik, and Kallu with very valuable fathers paired too.
With all of the change in legislation re. orphaned bears breeding in the US population - I'm very curious to see as well if Kalluk in San Diego will ever either be moved or provided with a mate who is likely to be successful. Seems a shame to have him not contributing his genes if possible.
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Jonathan Petersson
Well-Known Member
Is there still a polar bear SSP in the AZA as I can't seem to find it on the database and wasn't sure if it was one the programs that was cut? If not how is the current population being managed?
Nora is excluded on health grounds - metabolic bone disease as a cub ended up giving her a slightly abnormal skeletal structure, and she had surgery on her leg a couple years back. I suspect they consider her too risky to breed given her condition.
Given he is now 25 and entirely unproven, I unfortunately suspect he may not end up contributing. Who knows on that end.
They are now relegated to a studbook, but yes still managed. There is enough interest in the species that semi-formal management continues despite the downgrade.
Yeah, me as well. I remember years ago before legislation changes and when the population wasn't in as bad of shape, there was more of a push to try and breed him with Chinook. However as far as I understand, she had been on birth control previously - leaving her infertile as we now recognize it would.
I wouldn't cry if someone more likely was sent to try with him, or if he was transferred into a more promisingly successful situation. There have been a few other bears that I can think of who had never sired a cub until their later teens/early 20s (ex. Lee, Nuka) due to being paired with compromised females for years... so I'd love to see a chance taken here for another potential founder!
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
Not really population news, but Cincinnati just announced that they plan to bring back polar bears sometime in the next decade, so it's great to see a returning holder!
“The same principle applies across the zoo. We once housed polar bears, but the available space wasn’t adequate. Now, that area is home to sea otters, which thrive there. In the next decade, we plan to build a large marine exhibit with saltwater for sea lions and polar bears, but to do that, we need to relocate and redesign spaces carefully."
“The same principle applies across the zoo. We once housed polar bears, but the available space wasn’t adequate. Now, that area is home to sea otters, which thrive there. In the next decade, we plan to build a large marine exhibit with saltwater for sea lions and polar bears, but to do that, we need to relocate and redesign spaces carefully."
Well said!
With all due to respect to Cincinnati Zoo: it is way too premature to declare them a returning holder. I'll have to see an exhibit design, funding, construction, and then actual polar bears arrive before I'll be fully convinced... them getting back into polar bears is predicated on availability, and polar bear availability is currently very low and not trending positively. It reminds me of how so many zoos that phase out elephants claim they want to or will bring them back in the future, only for almost none of them to ever do so. It is great PR, but whether it will become reality is an open question.
I second this, and fully agree with Coelacanth's post. With only a vague statement from the zoo waving at "sometime in the next 10 years" as reference, it cannot be guaranteed it will follow through, especially for a population that is currently in trouble. There needs to be major positive changes just to keep all current holders maintaining bears in the next 3-5 years, let alone a new facility. We're short cubs and there's no word on any sort of possible import. Given the current circumstances it cannot be reasonably claimed that Cincinnati will return as a confirmed holder.
3 to five years? That would require a miracle!!
A couple of cubs per year with these new pairings would be a pretty solid start towards stabilizing the younger age class - in theory 1 to 3 cubs a year shouldn't be that high a bar but we'll see.
Como to welcome a female bear for hopeful breeding!
"With that strategy in mind, Como Zoo is getting ready to welcome a new female bear from a partner zoo, who might make a good breeding partner for Kulu. “With an aging population of bears, we’re trying to shake things up,” Jungheim says. If the pairing works, she may even have a couple of new names to add to the polar bear studbook."
Protecting Polar Bears - Como Friends
"With that strategy in mind, Como Zoo is getting ready to welcome a new female bear from a partner zoo, who might make a good breeding partner for Kulu. “With an aging population of bears, we’re trying to shake things up,” Jungheim says. If the pairing works, she may even have a couple of new names to add to the polar bear studbook."
Protecting Polar Bears - Como Friends
Jonathan Petersson
Well-Known Member
Cincinnati without a doubt will bring back polar bears in the next few years as it is the number one priority of the donors, board members, and zoo management. They are already moving animals and preparing the area in preparation of constructing the new habitat and full work should begin once the new giraffe exhibit is finished. Their CREW program is also the world leaders in research of polar bear reproduction and were one of the zoos that pushed heavily for the marine mammal protection act to be updated to allow zoos to breed polar bears making them a high priority on the list of future holders. The zoo has already planned individuals to bring in as I have heard through some regular visitors but I don't know all the details yet.
Any ideas on which bear it could be?