Hypothetical/Speculative United States Polar Bear SSP Plan

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Lately, one area that's been interesting me is the population management of zoo populations. One species that has a struggling SSP that I'm interested in is the Polar Bears. Similar to the hypothetical elephant plans I've seen on here in the past, I thought to create a hypothetical/speculative Polar Bear Breeding Plan. Priorities were creating as many breeding pairs as possible to increase chance of reproductive success, with a secondary priority of ensuring as genetically valuable pairings as possible. However, I'd rather a future with inbreeding depression than a future with zero polar bears left in zoos, meaning some non-ideal plans are essential. A third priority is consolidating breeding facilities to the mid-west, which would make future transfers easier. Another priority, although one that has to make a backseat, is increasing the number of polar bears by bringing back on institutions forced out of this species due to the small population size. While this isn't entirely possible due to the need for breeding and a small population size, this plan does include adding one new holder back into the SSP. Without any further ado, here's my hypothetical polar bear plan:

Alaska Zoo:
0.1 Cranbeary
Rationale: Alaska Zoo should continue to house Cranbeary, who is post-reproductive. Alaska Zoo should also serve as a headquarters for any possible orphan bears, which should strongly be considered as an alternative for when captive-bred bears aren't available. Space available for polar bears is greater than bears available, so having additional animals for exhibit purposes would be beneficial.

San Diego Zoo:
1.0 Kalluk
0.1 Chinook
0.1 Tatqiq
Rationale: San Diego should continue housing these three elderly bears. If the zoo would like to continue housing Polar bears after these bears pass, they should attempt to import bears from Canada/Europe or acquire a rescued bear from Alaska.

Oregon Zoo:
0.1 Nora
Rationale: Nora is not a good candidate for a breeding recommendation due to her medical history.

Utah's Hogle Zoo:
0.1 Qannik- move from Louisville
Rationale: swapping bears with the Louisville Zoo would help consolidate the breeding portions of the population, allowing easier transfers of bears. Qannik is excluded due to Marine Mammal Protection Act restrictions. If MMPA restrictions are lifted, Qannik should recieve a breeding recommendation with Lee.

ABQ BioPark:
1.0 Kiska
1.0 Koluk
Rationale: Both these elderly brothers are post-reproductive, and will remain at the ABQ BioPark. Barring drastic increases to the population, these will be the final polar bears recommended to the ABQ BioPark.

Kansas City Zoo:
0.1 Berlin
1.0 Nuniq- breed w/ Astra
0.1 Laerke- Move from Detroit, breed w/ Nuniq
Rationale: After the death of elderly Polar bear Berlin, Laerke will be moved to the Kansas City Zoo to form a new breeding pair with Nuniq. Due to the small population size and low reproductive success, having as many breeding pairs as possible is imperative.

Saint Louis Zoo:
1.0 Kali
Rationale: Kali is excluded due to Marine Mammal Protection Act restrictions. If MMPA restrictions are lifted, Kali should recieve breeding recommendations with Aurora and Talini.

Como Park Zoo:
0.1 Anana- move from North Carolina, breed w/ Kulu
1.0 Kulu- breed w/ Anana
Rationale: moving Anana to Como Park Zoo helps to consolidate breeding bears and make future transfers easier. Anana should breed with Kulu, who is already at Como Park Zoo. Due to her advanced age, it is unlikely this pair will be successful, but it should still be a priority to try.

Henry Vilas Zoo:
1.0 Borealis- breed w/ Amelia Grey
0.1 Amelia Grey- move from Oregon, breed w/ Borealis
Rationale: Transferring Amelia Grey from Oregon Zoo creates a new breeding pair, which is essential for the SSP's continued success.

Brookfield Zoo:
1.0 Hudson- breed w/ Hope
0.1 Hope- breed w/ Hudson
Rationale: this breeding recommendation is only a year old, so will be continued for the time being. While not the most genetically sound pairing, it remains imperative to attempt breeding.

Lincoln Park Zoo:
1.0 Siku- breed w/ Laerke
0.1 Astra- Move from Detroit, breed w/ Siku
Rationale: moving Astra into a breeding situation should be a top priority for the SSP.

Memphis Zoo:
1.0 Sakari- move from Buffalo, breed w/ Haley
0.1 Haley- breed w/ Sakari
Rationale: Since neither zoo has had reproductive success, switching pairings should occur in case better results are achieved. Sakari will move from Buffalo to Memphis to breed with Haley.

Louisville Zoo:
1.0 Nikita- move from Hogle, breed w/ Neva
0.1 Neva- move from Hogle, breed w/ Nikita
Rationale: swapping bears with Hogle Zoo allows a consolidation of breeding bears and makes future transfers easier.

Toledo Zoo:
0.1 Crystal- breed w/ Koda
1.0 Koda- move from Memphis, breed w/ Crystal
Rationale: Crystal is a proven female, and likely has one more litter possible. After a successful birth or three unsuccessful breeding seasons, Crystal should be moved to a retirement home and a new female brought to Toledo and breed with Koda, possibly one of the Columbus girls.

Columbus Zoo:
1.0 Lee- move from Louisville, breed w/ Aurora and Talini
0.1 Aurora- breed w/ Lee
0.1 Talini- move from Lincoln Park, breed w/ Lee
Rationale: Returning Lee to Columbus is ideal for future reproductive success at the institution. Talini is a genetically valuable individual, and the best chance of seeing her reproductive success is by transferring her to Columbus, a zoo with successful reproduction in recent years, to breed with Lee, a proven male.

Detroit Zoo:
1.0 Nuka- move from Toledo, breed w/ Suka
0.1 Suka- breed w/ Nuka
Rationale: this is a proven breeding pair that is genetically valuable.

Pittsburgh Zoo:
0.1 Snowflake
Rationale: Snowflake is a post-reproductive bear that will remain at Pittsburgh Zoo. If Pittsburgh is interested, this would be an ideal location for a breeding pair in the future if the zoo's facilities can handle it.

Buffalo Zoo:
0.1 Luna- breed w/ Payton
1.0 Payton- move from North Carolina, breed w/ Luna
Rationale: moving Payton to Buffalo to breed with Luna will break up two unsuccessful pairings in hope of creating more successful pairs.

Seneca Park Zoo:
0.1 Anoki
Rationale: Anoki is a post reproductive bear. Due to this facility's historical breeding record and location in relation to other breeding zoos, it should be considered a top candidate for a breeding pair should one become available.

North Carolina Zoo:
1.0 Neil- move from Como Park Zoo
0.1 Nanuyaak- move from Como Park Zoo
Rationale: swapping bears with Como Park Zoo is essential for consolidating the SSP breeding institutions. This would be an ideal zoo to house any potential orphan bears in the future.

Maryland Zoo:
0.1 Berit (24)- move from Henry Vilas
Rationale: Moving this elderly bear to the Maryland Zoo opens up Henry Vilas Zoo for a breeding pair, while sending a bear to a zoo that has historically kept polar bears and would like to see the species return to the collection.

Lastly: I'd just like to thank members in the North American Polar Bear Population Threads for providing information that made this thread possible. Specifically, I'd like to thank @IndianRhino @Polar bear fan and @StoppableSan

If this thread is popular, I would be interested in hypothesizing on other possible SSPs, and would be willing to take suggestions for other species. Feel free to let me know what species you'd like to see me plan next. I greatly enjoyed proposing this breeding plan!
 
Note I forgot to mention: this plan is assuming that there are no successful 2022 polar bear births. If births are successful in any pairs being broken apart by this plan, then those pairs would remain constant and other breeding recommendations would shift as necessary. When dealing with this small population, there's a strong "domino effect", where one birth, one death, etc. could derail or reconsider the entire plan. Specifically, the breeding pairs that would be affected are those at:
Buffalo Zoo
North Carolina Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo
Memphis Zoo
Hogle Zoo* (pair remains constant, but changes location- location change will not happen given a successful birth).

A birth at any of these five zoos would change the plan, something I sincerely hopes will happen, and I will post an updated plan accordingly.
 
Honestly, a really interesting thread! I can't wait to see your other SSP ideas!

Also, quick question, what would you do about Point Defiance's polar bear exhibit? Do you think they should phase out polar bears, or bring in new ones once a breeding pair becomes available?
 
Haley said:
Honestly, a really interesting thread! I can't wait to see your other SSP ideas!

Also, quick question, what would you do about Point Defiance's polar bear exhibit? Do you think they should phase out polar bears, or bring in new ones once a breeding pair becomes available?
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I'm not familiar with the Point Defiance Zoo exhibit, so can't comment on the exhibits specifics. I wouldn't send them a breeding pair due to the region of the zoo (all the breeding zoos in my above plan are consolidated in the Midwest to make transfers easier), but would be open to sending them a non-reproductive bear if one became available. However, due to the small size of the population, there aren't any available at the moment. Zoos that would recieve more bears if the population was larger are:
- Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Point Defiance Zoos: historic holders likely interested in re-adding this species back into the collection. Any other former holders would also be more than welcome to re-add polar bears as bears became available.
- Seneca Park Zoo: location-wise, this would be an ideal location for a breeding pair if one became available, especially given the zoo's historical success.
- Oregon, Pittsburgh, Maryland Zoos: all can likely accommodate a second bear.
- Detroit: due to exhibits large size, Ideally would house a third polar bear.
- North Carolina: another zoo that could either accommodate more than two bears, or a breeding pair. The two elderly bears isn't an ideal choice for this zoo, but was the best option out of the limited population size.

All in all, 12 Females were given breeding recommendations. With a goal population size of 50 bears (what would be necessary to fulfill the possibilities in this post), this would require most of these pairings, if not all, to be successful.
 
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Neil chace said:
I'm not familiar with the Point Defiance Zoo exhibit, so can't comment on the exhibits specifics. I wouldn't send them a breeding pair due to the region of the zoo (all the breeding zoos in my above plan are consolidated in the Midwest to make transfers easier), but would be open to sending them a non-reproductive bear if one became available. However, due to the small size of the population, there aren't any available at the moment. Zoos that would recieve more bears if the population was larger are:
- Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Point Defiance Zoos: historic holders likely interested in re-adding this species back into the collection. Any other former holders would also be more than welcome to re-add polar bears as bears became available.
- Seneca Park Zoo: location-wise, this would be an ideal location for a breeding pair if one became available, especially given the zoo's historical success.
- Oregon, Pittsburgh, Maryland Zoos: all can likely accommodate a second bear.
- Detroit: due to exhibits large size, Ideally would house a third polar bear.
- North Carolina: another zoo that could either accommodate more than two bears, or a breeding pair. The two elderly bears isn't an ideal choice for this zoo, but was the best option out of the limited population size.

All in all, 12 Females were given breeding recommendations. With a goal population size of 50 bears (what would be necessary to fulfill the possibilities in this post), this would require most of these pairings, if not all, to be successful.
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You should be the SSP manager, you clearly know what's right for the population!
 
It may be worth mentioning, if it helps or does not help, that while Denver tore down it's polar bear habitat, they signaled to the public they would like to hold the species again in the future and I believe have been considered a historic holder. I am not making any recommendation that you have to include them in your plan, just thought it might be useful reference for you.
 
Here are some suggestions for other SSP's that you could possibly do, and would be cool to see how you would possibly manage them:

  • Common Hippo: If I remember correctly, I read somewhere on here that the population has been struggling in terms of space, and some facilities have some issues with their hippos, such as (cough, cough), Cincinnati.
  • African & Asian Elephant: Another population that's been struggling a bit in terms of breeding.
  • Bonobo: Like the common hippo, they have also been struggling in terms of capacity.
  • Black, White, & Indian Rhino: Not really any reason, I just think the species are cool.
  • Gorilla, Orangutan, & Chimpanzee: Like the rhinos, I just think they're cool, and it would be interesting to see hypothetical transfers.
 
Haley said:
Here are some suggestions for other SSP's that you could possibly do, and would be cool to see how you would possibly manage them:

  • Common Hippo: If I remember correctly, I read somewhere on here that the population has been struggling in terms of space, and some facilities have some issues with their hippos, such as (cough, cough), Cincinnati.
  • African & Asian Elephant: Another population that's been struggling a bit in terms of breeding.
  • Bonobo: Like the common hippo, they have also been struggling in terms of capacity.
  • Black, White, & Indian Rhino: Not really any reason, I just think the species are cool.
  • Gorilla, Orangutan, & Chimpanzee: Like the rhinos, I just think they're cool, and it would be interesting to see hypothetical transfers.
Click to expand...
I'll look into those. As of now, I'm working towards doing sloth bears as a second hypothetical SSP proposal. Some of the animals you mentioned would certainly be possible, but some of them are either on way too big of a scale (white rhinos and hippos), species I'm simply not interested in (chimpanzees), too small of a population to be worthwhile (bonobos), or taxa I'm not familiar with the zoo management philosophies enough to be comfortable proposing a plan (orangutans). I'll look into gorillas, elephants, and black/GOH rhinos though.
 
The newly born twin polar bears at Toledo Zoo have caused some changes to my proposed SSP Plan. Note that despite this being a birth at only one institution, it did cause some "trickle-down" effects as other bears were moved to other homes. Any institution that received new recommendations is in bold.

Alaska Zoo:
0.1 Cranbeary
Rationale: Alaska Zoo should continue to house Cranbeary, who is post-reproductive. Alaska Zoo should also serve as a headquarters for any possible orphan bears, which should strongly be considered as an alternative for when captive-bred bears aren't available. Space available for polar bears is greater than bears available, so having additional animals for exhibit purposes would be beneficial.

San Diego Zoo:
1.0 Kalluk
0.1 Chinook
0.1 Tatqiq
Rationale: San Diego should continue housing these three elderly bears. If the zoo would like to continue housing Polar bears after these bears pass, they should attempt to import bears from Canada/Europe or acquire a rescued bear from Alaska.

Oregon Zoo:
0.1 Nora
Rationale: Nora is not a good candidate for a breeding recommendation due to her medical history.

Utah's Hogle Zoo:
0.1 Qannik- move from Louisville
1.0 Hudson- move from Brookfield
Rationale: swapping bears with the Louisville Zoo would help consolidate the breeding portions of the population, allowing easier transfers of bears. Qannik is excluded due to Marine Mammal Protection Act restrictions. If MMPA restrictions are lifted, Qannik should recieve a breeding recommendation.

ABQ BioPark:
1.0 Kiska
1.0 Koluk
Rationale: Both these elderly brothers are post-reproductive, and will remain at the ABQ BioPark. Barring drastic increases to the population, these will be the final polar bears recommended to the ABQ BioPark.

Kansas City Zoo:
0.1 Berlin
1.0 Nuniq- breed w/ Laerke
0.1 Laerke- Move from Detroit, breed w/ Nuniq
Rationale: After the death of elderly Polar bear Berlin, Laerke will be moved to the Kansas City Zoo to form a new breeding pair with Nuniq. Due to the small population size and low reproductive success, having as many breeding pairs as possible is imperative.

Saint Louis Zoo:
1.0 Kali
Rationale: Kali is excluded due to Marine Mammal Protection Act restrictions. If MMPA restrictions are lifted, Kali should recieve breeding recommendations with Aurora and Talini.

Como Park Zoo:
0.1 Anana- move from North Carolina, breed w/ Kulu
1.0 Kulu- breed w/ Anana
Rationale: moving Anana to Como Park Zoo helps to consolidate breeding bears and make future transfers easier. Anana should breed with Kulu, who is already at Como Park Zoo. Due to her advanced age, it is unlikely this pair will be successful, but it should still be a priority to try.

Henry Vilas Zoo:
1.0 Borealis- breed w/ Amelia Grey
0.1 Amelia Grey- move from Oregon, breed w/ Borealis
Rationale: Transferring Amelia Grey from Oregon Zoo creates a new breeding pair, which is essential for the SSP's continued success.

Brookfield Zoo:
1.0 Koda- move from Memphis, breed w/ Hope
0.1 Hope- breed w/ Hudson
Rationale: this breeding recommendation is a more genetically sound pairing than Hudson x Hope, and breaks up two recommendations that have yet to be successful. Originally, Koda was recommended to go to Toledo, but with new cubs at Toledo that is no longer a necessary transfer, freeing him up to go to Brookfield Zoo instead.

Lincoln Park Zoo:
1.0 Siku- breed w/ Laerke
0.1 Astra- Move from Detroit, breed w/ Siku
Rationale: moving Astra into a breeding situation should be a top priority for the SSP.

Memphis Zoo:
1.0 Sakari- move from Buffalo, breed w/ Haley
0.1 Haley- breed w/ Sakari
Rationale: Since neither zoo has had reproductive success, switching pairings should occur in case better results are achieved. Sakari will move from Buffalo to Memphis to breed with Haley.

Louisville Zoo:
1.0 Nikita- move from Hogle, breed w/ Neva
0.1 Neva- move from Hogle, breed w/ Nikita
Rationale: swapping bears with Hogle Zoo allows a consolidation of breeding bears and makes future transfers easier.

Toledo Zoo:
0.1 Crystal
0.0.1 2022 Cub
0.0.1 2022 Cub
Rationale: For the next two years, Toledo should hold Crystal with her two cubs. After that, new homes will be found for both cubs, and Crystal will either receive a new breeding recommendation or will move to a retirement home.

Columbus Zoo:
1.0 Lee- move from Louisville, breed w/ Aurora and Talini
0.1 Aurora- breed w/ Lee
0.1 Talini- move from Lincoln Park, breed w/ Lee
Rationale: Returning Lee to Columbus is ideal for future reproductive success at the institution. Talini is a genetically valuable individual, and the best chance of seeing her reproductive success is by transferring her to Columbus, a zoo with successful reproduction in recent years, to breed with Lee, a proven male.

Detroit Zoo:
1.0 Nuka- move from Toledo, breed w/ Suka
0.1 Suka- breed w/ Nuka
Rationale: this is a proven breeding pair that is genetically valuable.

Pittsburgh Zoo:
0.1 Snowflake
Rationale: Snowflake is a post-reproductive bear that will remain at Pittsburgh Zoo. If Pittsburgh is interested, this would be an ideal location for a breeding pair in the future if the zoo's facilities can handle it.

Buffalo Zoo:
0.1 Luna- breed w/ Payton
1.0 Payton- move from North Carolina, breed w/ Luna
Rationale: moving Payton to Buffalo to breed with Luna will break up two unsuccessful pairings in hope of creating more successful pairs.

Seneca Park Zoo:
0.1 Anoki
Rationale: Anoki is a post reproductive bear. Due to this facility's historical breeding record and location in relation to other breeding zoos, it should be considered a top candidate for a breeding pair should one become available.

North Carolina Zoo:
1.0 Neil- move from Como Park Zoo
0.1 Nanuyaak- move from Como Park Zoo
Rationale: swapping bears with Como Park Zoo is essential for consolidating the SSP breeding institutions. This would be an ideal zoo to house any potential orphan bears in the future.

Maryland Zoo:
0.1 Berit- move from Henry Vilas
Rationale: Moving this elderly bear to the Maryland Zoo opens up Henry Vilas Zoo for a breeding pair, while sending a bear to a zoo that has historically kept polar bears and would like to see the species return to the collection.

Point Defiance Zoo:
1.0 Hudson- move from Brookfield
Rationale: Hudson's last three pairings were unsuccessful, making him an ideal bear to be placed in a non-breeding scenario. Point Defiance has publicly expressed a desire to return to polar bears, so will be an ideal home to move Hudson to. If Point Defiance is not ready for a bear, then an interim move for Hudson would be the Hogle Zoo, as a companion bear for Qannik.
 
One interesting reality with populations this small, any change to the population can lead to a "domino effect" for ideal transfer and breeding pairs that can affect the majority of zoos in the SSP. When looking at my hypothetical plan, the new rescued cub from Alaska Zoo had a similar effect on the Polar Bear SSP, as moving this cub to one of the two former holders bringing brought back into the mix led to a series of other pairings being affected. Furthermore, when looking closer at my plan, I decided against a few transfers of elderly polar bears, deciding that instead of consolidating the SSP it is worthwhile to limit the number of transfers and the stress associated with them. As such, a few zoos received updated recommendations for this reason as well. Without further ado, here is an updated plan for my hypothetical polar bear SSP:

In this SSP Plan, a total of fourteen transfers are recommended, and eleven females are recommended to breed. This is a decrease of three transfers from the previous plan, while the recommended number of females to breed remains constant.

Alaska Zoo:
0.1 Cranbeary- breed w/ Payton
1.0 Payton- breed w/ Cranbeary, move from North Carolina Zoo
Rationale: While this pairing is unlikely to be successful, Alaska Zoo is an ideal location for a breeding pair given the zoo's climate and facility capabilities. Payton is already in an unlikely success breeding pair given Anana's advanced age, so transferring him to Alaska to breed with Cranbeary instead does not harm his chances of having successful cubs. If a younger female becomes available for breeding, Alaska Zoo will be a top priority to receive it.

San Diego Zoo:
1.0 Kalluk
0.1 Chinook
0.1 Tatqiq
Rationale: San Diego should continue housing these three elderly bears. If the zoo would like to continue housing polar bears after these bears pass, they should attempt to import bears from Canada/Europe or acquire a rescued bear from Alaska. It is unlikely a breeding pair can be sourced for San Diego in the future, so unless an import can occur, they will likely be relegated to being a retirement home for geriatric individuals.

Oregon Zoo:
0.1 Nora
Rationale: Nora is not a good candidate for a breeding recommendation due to her medical history.

Louisville Zoo:
0.1 Qannik
Rationale: Qannik is excluded due to Marine Mammal Protection Act restrictions. If MMPA restrictions are lifted, Qannik should receive a breeding recommendation with Lee.

ABQ BioPark:
1.0 Kiska
1.0 Koluk
Rationale: Both these elderly brothers are post-reproductive, and will remain at the ABQ BioPark. Barring drastic increases to the population, these will be the final polar bears recommended to the ABQ BioPark.

Kansas City Zoo:
0.1 Berlin
1.0 Nuniq- breed w/ Laerke
0.1 Laerke- breed w/ Nuniq, move from Detroit Zoo (hold in Henry Vilas until KC is ready)
Rationale: After the death of elderly polar bear Berlin, Laerke will be moved to the Kansas City Zoo to form a new breeding pair with Nuniq. Due to the small population size and low reproductive success, having as many breeding pairs as possible is imperative. If Laerke requires additional socialization and/or time before ready to breed, Henry Vilas Zoo is an ideal choice for an interim home.

Saint Louis Zoo:
1.0 Kali
Rationale: Kali is excluded due to MMPA restrictions. If MMPA restrictions are lifted, Kali will receive a breeding recommendation immediately.

North Carolina Zoo:
0.1 Anana
0.1 Anoki- move from Seneca Park Zoo
Rationale: due to Anana's advanced age, she is likely post-reproductive. Moving her sister, Anoki, to North Carolina Zoo provides companionship for both of these bears while freeing up Seneca Park to receive a breeding pair. While North Carolina would ideally also receive a breeding pair, unfortunately that is not possible at this time due to the limited number of breeding-age individuals.

Henry Vilas Zoo:
0.1 Berit
(Temporary- 0.1 Laerke- move from Detroit)
Rationale: Berit is a great companion bear who is likely post-reproductive. If Laerke needs additional socialization or Kansas City is not ready to accommodate a breeding pair, Henry Vilas would be a great interim home for her. Henry Vilas should continue to serve as a great "training grounds" for young bears, and while Bo is ready to move on into a breeding situation, in the future Henry Vilas can gain more younger bears for socialization purposes (e.g. the Toledo twins)

Brookfield Zoo:
0.1 Hope- breed w/ Koda
1.0 Koda- breed w/ Hope, move from Memphis
Rationale: Koda is a genetically valuable male that should be placed in a new breeding situation, since his placement in Memphis has so far been unsuccessful. Koda x Hope is more genetically sound of a pairing than Hudson x Hope.

Lincoln Park Zoo:
0.1 Talini- breed w/ Sakari
1.0 Sakari- breed w/ Talini, move from Buffalo Zoo
Rationale: moving Sakari to Lincoln Park Zoo breaks up two unsuccessful pairings, hopefully creating a pairing that will be move successful (even if unlikely)

Memphis Zoo:
0.1 Haley- breed w/ Siku
1.0 Siku- breed w/ Haley, move from Lincoln Park Zoo
Rationale: Since neither zoo has had reproductive success, switching pairings should occur in case better results are achieved. Siku will move from Lincoln Park to Memphis to breed with Haley.

Hogle Zoo:
1.0 Nikita- breed w/ Neva
0.1 Neva- breed w/ Nikita
Rationale: This is a relatively new breeding pair which should be maintained for at least one more year.

Toledo Zoo:
0.1 Crystal
0.0.1- Nuka x Crystal
0.0.1- Nuka x Crystal
Rationale: Crystal gave birth to twin cubs in 2022, will stay in Toledo with the cubs for two years before considering a next home for the cubs.

Columbus Zoo:
1.0 Lee- breed w/ Aurora and Amelia Grey, move from Louisville Zoo
0.1 Aurora- breed w/ Lee
0.1 Amelia Grey- breed w/ Lee, move from Oregon Zoo
Rationale: Returning Lee to Columbus is ideal for future reproductive success at this institution. Lee is a genetically valuable proven breeder, so it's essential to pair him ASAP. Amelia Grey will return to Columbus as well to breed with Lee, as Columbus is an ideal zoo to receive multiple breeding females due to the large size of the exhibit.

Detroit Zoo:
1.0 Nuka- breed w/ Suka, move from Toledo Zoo
0.1 Suka- breed w/ Nuka
Rationale: This is a proven breeding pair that is genetically valuable.

Pittsburgh Zoo:
0.1 Snowflake
Rationale: Snowflake is a post-reproductive bear that will remain at Pittsburgh Zoo. Any future polar bear transfers to Pittsburgh are dependent on the zoo re-gaining AZA accreditation.

Buffalo Zoo:
0.1 Luna- breed w/ Kulu
1.0 Kulu- breed w/ Luna, move from Como Park Zoo
Rationale: moving Kulu to Buffalo Zoo breaks up an unsuccessful breeding pair and adds Kulu, a young male, into a breeding pair. Luna is an ideal mate for Kulu since she's one of the few breeding-age females unrelated to Kulu, and Kulu is more genetically valuable than a Marty x Crystal bear, as Lee is a more valuable sire.

Seneca Park Zoo:
1.0 Bo- breed w/ Astra, move from Henry Vilas Zoo
0.1 Astra- breed w/ Bo, move from Detroit Zoo
Rationale: Seneca Park Zoo is a historical breeder for the polar bear SSP, so it'd be great to see a new breeding pair be given to the Seneca Park Zoo. Moving these two bears to Seneca Park creates a new breeding pair, which will be essential for the SSP's long-term success.

Como Park Zoo:
1.0 Neil
0.1 Nanuyaak
Rationale: Como Park Zoo can continue to house these two elderly bears. If another breeding pair becomes available, Como Park would be an ideal location.

Maryland Zoo:
1.0 New Rescue- move from Alaska Zoo
Rationale: Moving Alaska Zoo's new rescue to the Maryland Zoo allows this historic holder to continue housing polar bears again. Since wild-caught bears are not able to breed, he is a perfect choice for an exhibit animal at a former holder looking to return to polar bears.

Point Defiance Zoo:
1.0 Hudson- move from Brookfield Zoo
Rationale: Hudson's past three pairings have all been unsuccessful, and since he's from a genetically over-represented line, he's an ideal candidate to be a non-breeding exhibit animal, especially since there are currently more breeding age males than females in the population.
 
People mention it these discussions from time to time, so just my two cents: I would not expect Baltimore to receive polar bears any time in the near future. Not while the grizzlies are still around, at any rate. The exhibit was never meant to house two groups of bears, and when both the grizzlies and polar bears were being kept, their were definitely some spatial concerns - especially evident during the warmer months when the grizzlies were awake and active. Maybe some point down the road, especially if an expanded bear habitat discussed in the master plan comes to fruition, things could change, but as for now I'd say look elsewhere
 
Aardwolf said:
People mention it these discussions from time to time, so just my two cents: I would not expect Baltimore to receive polar bears any time in the near future. Not while the grizzlies are still around, at any rate. The exhibit was never meant to house two groups of bears, and when both the grizzlies and polar bears were being kept, their were definitely some spatial concerns - especially evident during the warmer months when the grizzlies were awake and active. Maybe some point down the road, especially if an expanded bear habitat discussed in the master plan comes to fruition, things could change, but as for now I'd say look elsewhere
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Interesting, and I appreciate your input. I was under the impression that Baltimore was wanting to get back into polar bears and their just wasn't a bear available at the moment. If they truly don't want polar bears back at the time being, then any other former holder interesting in a return to polar bears would be a good choice for the new orphan, I merely put Baltimore because I know they lost bears rather recently, have a decent bear complex that's still standing, and are in a location that doesn't have many other polar bears nearby. If Baltimore is not an option, I know that at least a few other zoos have stated a desire for polar bears in the future, so really any former holder would work. If no former holder is able to accommodate a polar bear, then the best course of action in my opinion would be to send the bear to Louisville as a companion for Qannik.
 
I'd like to share my opinion on your inbreeding statement:
Neil chace said:
However, I'd rather a future with inbreeding depression than a future with zero polar bears left in zoos, meaning some non-ideal plans are essential.
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If you want any polar bears at all you'd most likely need to import some, because inbreeding will just mean longer lasting population, but more likely to live less and suffer longer.
Unless you mean a 'slightly less inbred' mating, like great-grandfather x great-granddaughter any inbreeding could be futile for a long lasting generation.
I gotta admit, I am not a polar bear genetist expert as you would probably have guessed, but unless polar bears have a higher toleracy of inbreeding, like for example in many insular species, any inbreeding lower than the level above stated could be just hurtful for the possible offspings, and you should also consider if any inbreeding depression is already present.
I haven't read your other SSP plans but if those are similar to this you might want to consider inbreeding tolerances in your masterplans.
Great concept otherwise.
 
Mickey said:
I'd like to share my opinion on your inbreeding statement:

If you want any polar bears at all you'd most likely need to import some, because inbreeding will just mean longer lasting population, but more likely to live less and suffer longer.
Unless you mean a 'slightly less inbred' mating, like great-grandfather x great-granddaughter any inbreeding could be futile for a long lasting generation.
I gotta admit, I am not a polar bear genetist expert as you would probably have guessed, but unless polar bears have a higher toleracy of inbreeding, like for example in many insular species, any inbreeding lower than the level above stated could be just hurtful for the possible offspings, and you should also consider if any inbreeding depression is already present.
I haven't read your other SSP plans but if those are similar to this you might want to consider inbreeding tolerances in your masterplans.
Great concept otherwise.
Click to expand...
I can understand your concerns, however the difficulties with the polar bear SSP have been well documented on here. Imports are not a legal option, due to the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, otherwise this would absolutely be a route I'd like the SSP to take. Wild-caught orphans/rescues are also unable to breed, further putting the SSP in a difficult position. Basically, the polar bears we have in US Zoos are the polar bears we have. Overall, while inbreeding is not ideal, any breeding is better than no breeding. So far, the population is not inbred, however going forward so many of the bears are descendants of Marty x Crystal that it will be difficult to find pairings that aren't inbred, usually at the uncle x niece level or less. Furthermore, there are no clear trends to inbreeding's effects on zoo populations. Some populations have been very successful with little-to-know inbreeding depression even with an extremely small founder's base (e.g. sichuan takin, pere david's deer, northern sulawesi babirusa, goeldi's monkey), while others have struggled significantly from inbreeding even when the founder's base is decent. Given the choice, I'd want there to be no inbreeding (or extremely slight inbreeding), however with the small population size that isn't always an option.

In the US population, there are currently two breeding pairs of polar bears that are inbreeding, Hudson x Hope at Brookfield (uncle x niece) and Nikita x Neva at Hogle (half-uncle x niece). In my most recent plan, there are three pairs that are inbred.
- Bo x Astra at Seneca Park (uncle x niece)
- Nikita x Neva at Hogle Zoo (half-uncle x niece)
- Nuniq x Laerke at Kansas City Zoo (first cousins)
 
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