Polar Bear Cub Watch

Buffalo Zoo would be an excellent choice, if their exhibit was finished. Part of the reason of building the exhibit was to be able to house orphaned cubs. However, right now it's hard enough to find an adequate spot for the female cub. She'll be able to manage the first year, but when she gets bigger, I am unsure what exhibit space will be adequate for her. None of the empty one really have a big pool area where she can learn to swim.

I am assuming the cub has to go to a newer polar bear exhibit (that has the standard to allow orphan cubs). I was thinking maybe the Hogle Zoo.
 
blospz said:
I am assuming the cub has to go to a newer polar bear exhibit (that has the standard to allow orphan cubs). I was thinking maybe the Hogle Zoo.
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good call, Andrew. I forgot there is no suitable space for their cub they have now at BZ. Hogle would be a great place for Kali to go.
 
Gulo gulo said:
I await the backlash, but this cub should go to the Buffalo Zoo. there it can grow up with their female cub. they do it with cats and primates. could possibly benefit both cubs.
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blospz said:
Buffalo Zoo would be an excellent choice, if their exhibit was finished. Part of the reason of building the exhibit was to be able to house orphaned cubs. However, right now it's hard enough to find an adequate spot for the female cub. She'll be able to manage the first year, but when she gets bigger, I am unsure what exhibit space will be adequate for her. None of the empty one really have a big pool area where she can learn to swim.

I am assuming the cub has to go to a newer polar bear exhibit (that has the standard to allow orphan cubs). I was thinking maybe the Hogle Zoo.
Click to expand...

Enjoy the cub is coming to buffalo zoo :)!!!
Second polar bear coming to Buffalo Zoo
 
Gulo gulo said:
I await the backlash, but this cub should go to the Buffalo Zoo. there it can grow up with their female cub. they do it with cats and primates. could possibly benefit both cubs.
Click to expand...

Kudos, you were right! I hope they find a space appropriate for them when they're bigger.

I wonder if this is now going to discourage people to donate. I mean now the zoo has two polar bears, the same as before, so why build a new exhibit for them?
 
Well polar bear breeding season is wrapping up in zoos. We have many months to wait to see if anything came out of it. I wanted to add that I asked the Seneca Park Zoo if they artificially inseminated their female polar bear again and they said they did not and hope natural breeding occurs. I am not sure if they did not do it because of costs, maybe they could not pair up with Cincinnati Zoo again, or maybe with the females age, they want to make things simple.

I also read an article today about Anana (Brookfield Zoo polar bear) and her delivery of Luna at the Buffalo Zoo. Probably 22 days before her delivery she was showing signs of beind due so the zookeepers would watch her every move, they practical lived at the zoo during that time. They had their cameras set up and the one corner they could not get a good view was the place she decided to have a cub. They said about a half hour after the delivery she started to show nonmaternal instincts and they decided to intervene. Luna was rushed to the hospital and they watched Anana for the next few hours to make sure another cub was not on its way -- which it was not.
 
I'm all for Luna and Kali being raised together, but can Buffalo house two growing cubs adequately? I mean, there's a drawing for a new exhibit and funds to be secured to make it a reality, but what about this crucial time in their lives? Surely, they can't swim in kiddie pools once they get over a couple hundred pounds?
 
Gulo gulo said:
I'm all for Luna and Kali being raised together, but can Buffalo house two growing cubs adequately? I mean, there's a drawing for a new exhibit and funds to be secured to make it a reality, but what about this crucial time in their lives? Surely, they can't swim in kiddie pools once they get over a couple hundred pounds?
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I think we all have these same doubts.However the Buffalo Zoo had to of convinced somebody that they had a plan for these two and we'll just have to see what that plan is :confused:

Team Tapir223
 
I was first under the impression that Kali was staying longer, but it does seem now it's not for long. Part of me wonders if all this moving around is really in the best interest of him. However, I would imagine over a year it would be more appropriate as he will be getting bigger and that exhibit now will not be big enough for two growing polar bears. It works for Andean bears because they are smaller but usually there's only one of them on at a time. I guess I never realized how fast males can grow until I saw a picture of Siku at the Louisville Zoo from this year. Wow!

Going back to the last article posted, I know there will always be these comments, but I do not understand people. They are so extreme and think he's sentenced to a life in jail and how awful he will never be returned to the wild. He would not be able to survive in the wild. Would they find it more humane just to kill him? Yes it's not the wild, but he's getting taken care of, always has food, and will probably end up in a newer exhibit that will keep him enriched.
 
Kali Arrives in Buffalo | wgrz.com

This new video clips suggests that Kali might not be the only one who leaves the Buffalo Zoo after a few months. Luna might just as well. Although I am not totally opposed to this because I want her to have an exhibit with a bigger pool so she can really swim. However, with the whole campaign, "Keep our bears in Buffalo!" it might angry the crowd donating money for a new exhibit to have their only polar bear left leave. It will be interesting to see where these cub(s) may go.
 
I did hear about St. Louis Zoo being a choice. However, they too haven't started building the exhibit so if Kali left after a few months, it would not make sense for him to go there.
 
It is a couple months too early to speculate, but with the sad news of many polar bear deaths in US zoos, lets hope for a successful birthing season!

Out of 30 US zoos with polar bears, only 9 are likely to produce cubs this year:
* Cincinnati Zoo (given hormones to ovulate easier)
* Columbus Zoo (many breeding seasons between Nanuq and Anana)
* Detroit Zoo (Nothing so far)
* Denver Zoo (Nothing so far)
* Kansas City Zoo (Breeding session(s) occurred)
* Memphis Zoo (Nothing so far)
* Pittsburgh Zoo (New female and former female)
* San Diego Zoo (Hopefully this is their year)
* Seneca Park Zoo (Only natural breeding was chosen this season)

Here are zoos that may have a chance, but are highly unlikely:
* Brookfield Zoo (Anana only mated with Hudson and it's undetermined if it was successful. She was not paired up with Aussie until after breeding season)
* Maryland Zoo (I think the breeding season was just spent finally tolerating each other)
* Toledo Zoo (Only if Marty and Nan mated)
 
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blospz said:
It is a couple months too early to speculate, but with the sad news of many polar bear deaths in US zoos, lets hope for a successful birthing season!

Out of 30 US zoos with polar bears, only 9 are likely to produce cubs this year:
* Cincinnati Zoo (given hormones to ovulate easier)
* Columbus Zoo (many breeding seasons between Nanuq and Anana)
* Detroit Zoo (Nothing so far)
* Denver Zoo (Nothing so far)
* Kansas City Zoo (Breeding session(s) occurred)
* Memphis Zoo (Nothing so far)
* Pittsburgh Zoo (New female and former female)
* San Diego Zoo (Hopefully this is their year)
* Seneca Park Zoo (Only natural breeding was chosen this season)

Here are zoos that may have a chance, but are highly unlikely:
* Brookfield Zoo (Anana only mated with Hudson and it's undetermined if it was successful. She was not paired up with Aussie until after breeding season)
* Maryland Zoo (I think the breeding season was just spent finally tolerating each other)
* Toledo Zoo (Only if Marty and Nan mated)
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Blospz, with the many deaths having happened recently and only 3.1 new cubs this year, would you happen to have an updated list of the polar bear population? It seems, that something will happen with all the new-ish exhibits already done and more to come. Even Hogle's new exhibit only has one bear. It's time to consolidate the bears able to breed in facilities with good breeding results. I also firmly believe that the AZA, USFWS and others should put their foot down and force Zoos/SeaWorld with older, not up to standard facilities to create new exhibits or meet standards. If not, they will lose their bears. I understand it costs a lot to do this and most can't, but it also costs in food, healthcare, mechanical and exhibit maintenance. Toledo can't be the only Polar Bear Cub Mill.
 
We have 60 polar bears left:

ABQ Bio Park: Koluk (m), Kiska (m)
Alaska Zoo: Lyutyik (m), Ahpun (f).
Brookfield Zoo: Anana (f), Hudson (m), Aussie (m)
Bronx Zoo: Tundra (m)
Buffalo Zoo: Luna (f), Kali (m)
Cincinnati Zoo: Little One (m), Berit (f)
Columbus Zoo: Nanuq (m), Aurora (f), Anana (f)
Detroit Zoo: Nuka (m), Talini (f)
Denver Zoo: Lee (m), Cranbeary (f)
Erie Zoo: Patches (f)
Henry Doorly Zoo: Fanny (f)
Hogle Zoo: Rizzo (f)
Indianapolis: Tundra (f)
Lincoln Park Zoo: Anana (f)
Louisville Zoo: Qannik (f), Siku (m)
Kansas City: Nikita (m), Berlin (f)
Memphis Zoo: Haley (f), Payton (m)
Milwaukee Zoo: Snow Lilly (f), Willy (m)
Oregon Zoo: Conrad (m), Tasul (f)
Pittsburgh Zoo: Koda (m), Kobe (f), Sjenza (f).
Philadelphia Zoo: Coldilocks (f), Clondike (f)
Point Defiance Zoo: Boris (m), Blizzard (m), Glacier (m)
Maryland Zoo: Anoki (f), Magnet (m)
San Diego Zoo: Chinook (f), Tatqiq (f), Kalluk (m)
San Francisco: Pike (f), Uulu (f)
Sea World Orlando: Johnny (m)
Sea World San Diego: Snow Flake (f)
Seneca Park Zoo: Aurora (f), Zero (m)
St. Como Zoo: Neil (m), Buzz (m)
Toledo Zoo: Marty (m), Nan (f), Crystal (f), Sakari (m), Suka (f)
 
Oops, I thought Toledo had two male cubs. So, 2.2 with Kali included, not 3.1 like I assumed. blospz, do you mind if I copy this list for personal use? I'd like to keep track of every bear. Thank you for compiling this list and posting it. You rock!
 
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