North American Polar Bear Population 2021

I've found a couple sources that state that Chinook who died at the Hogle Zoo in 2002 had 10 cubs. I know the youngest of those 10 is Anana at the Detroit Zoo, does anyone know who the remaining 9 cubs are and if they had any cubs of their own and if any of their descendants are alive today.
 
Animals R AMAZING! said:
I've found a couple sources that state that Chinook who died at the Hogle Zoo in 2002 had 10 cubs. I know the youngest of those 10 is Anana at the Detroit Zoo, does anyone know who the remaining 9 cubs are and if they had any cubs of their own and if any of their descendants are alive today.
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Chinook had 10 cubs between 1985 and 2000.
  • Kamoo - Female; 11/04/85; She moved to the Denver Zoo in the spring of 1987. She was found dead on 12/30/90 in a birthing den. Never reproduced.
  • Bjorn - Male; 11/09/87; He moved to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo in early 1989 and passed away in August of 2005. He sired two cubs but neither survived more than a few weeks.
  • Bubba - Male; 11/05/89; He moved to the Lake Superior Zoo in late 1990 until he passed away on 08/08/07. Never reproduced.
  • Aurora - Female; 11/05/89; She moved to the Seneca Park Zoo in late 1991 and passed away on 03/07/18; She had four cubs, Anoki at the Seneca Park Zoo, Lee at the Louisville Zoo, Anana at the North Carolina Zoo, and Haley at the Memphis Zoo.
  • Denali - Male; 11/09/93; He was exported to the Sapporo Zoo in Japan where he still lives. He has sired 8 cubs who all reside in Japan.
  • Kiska - Male; 11/19/96; Along with his twin brother Koluk, Kiska moved to the Albuquerque Zoo in the fall of 1997 where they still live. Never reproduced.
  • Koluk - Male; 11/19/96; Along with his twin brother Kiska, Koluk moved to the Albuquerque Zoo in the fall of 1997 where they still live. Never reproduced.
  • Alcor - Male; 11/26/98; Along with his twin brother Mizar, Alcor moved to the Toledo Zoo in 1999 and then the Erie Zoo in 2001. He passed away on 08/21/06. Never reproduced.
  • Mizar - Male; 11/26/98; Along with his twin brother Alcor, Mizar moved to the Toledo Zoo in 1999 and then the Erie Zoo in 2001. He passed away on 08/21/06. Never reproduced.
  • Anana - Female; 12/12/00; Anana moved to the Buffalo Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, Buffalo Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, and finally the Detroit Zoo. Apart from two male cubs who did not survive, she has one daughter, Luna, at the Buffalo Zoo.
 
Jaxton said:
  • Kiska - Male; 11/19/96; Along with his twin brother Koluk, Kiska moved to the Albuquerque Zoo in the fall of 1997 where they still live. Never reproduced.
  • Koluk - Male; 11/19/96; Along with his twin brother Kiska, Koluk moved to the Albuquerque Zoo in the fall of 1997 where they still live. Never reproduced.
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How come Koluk and/or Kiska haven't been used in the breeding program, have they been castrated?
 
John Marchwick said:
Anana the polar bear was killed by nuka

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wxyz.com/news/female-polar-bear-at-detroit-zoo-killed-by-male-polar-bear-during-breeding?_amp=true
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This death is really hard on me. She was one my favorite polar bears and I spent a year of my life watching her weekly when she was in Buffalo. Nuka was very gentle with all females, including Anana, so this out of character for him. I'm hoping the zoo will have a press release with perhaps a little more details on the incident.
 
Absolutely devastating news :(

I wouldn't be surprised if Anana was actually the one who instigated the incident, and it just so happens that Nuka, being the larger and stronger of the two, was the one who ended it.
 
Does anyone know if Anana ever came out of denning at the Columbus Zoo? I heard she hasn’t. Is this true? Or if they’re other bears who haven’t yet
 
It was announced today that Hope has been settling into her new home at the Brookfield Zoo. Nanuyaak, who left Brookfield a few months ago, is now at the Como Park Zoo. I am a bit confused as to why Hope has been paired with her uncle, Hudson. An interesting decision from the SSP for sure.

Hogle Zoo’s polar bear Hope finds new home at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo | Gephardt Daily

Another unanswered question remains, however, who will be joining Nora in Oregon this fall? Possibly one of her sisters in Baltimore? I guess we will have to wait to find out.
 
Jaxton said:
It was announced today that Hope has been settling into her new home at the Brookfield Zoo. Nanuyaak, who left Brookfield a few months ago, is now at the Como Park Zoo. I am a bit confused as to why Hope has been paired with her uncle, Hudson. An interesting decision from the SSP for sure.

Hogle Zoo’s polar bear Hope finds new home at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo | Gephardt Daily

Another unanswered question remains, however, who will be joining Nora in Oregon this fall? Possibly one of her sisters in Baltimore? I guess we will have to wait to find out.
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My guess is one of the sister in Baltimore will be Hope's companion come fall. At that time they will reach sexual maturity so the other one could always go somewhere else with a breeding male.

It is unusual of a uncle/niece pair, but with the limited breeding females, I had a feeling this was going to end up happening in the next few years when these younger females hit sexual maturity. Lets "hope" Hudson has more luck with Hope, a younger female, versus the older ones he's been paired up with in the past.
 
With all of these movements, does anyone have a final population list of polar bears by location?
 
If you go back to page 4 of this thread you can find the latest updated list, but there have been several changes since then. These are the current breeding pairs that are hoped to have cubs this year:

Koda and Haley (Memphis)
Payton and Anana (North Carolina)
Hudson and Hope (Brookfield)
Marty and Crystal (Toledo)
Sakari and Luna (Buffalo)
Siku and Talini (Lincoln Park)

And then the moves that have happened recently are:
Hope (from Hogle to Brookfield)
Nora (from Hogle to Oregon)
Nikita (from North Carolina to Hogle)
Nan (from Brookfield to Como Park)
Payton (from Memphis to North Carolina)
Koda (from Pittsburgh to Memphis)
Also, Amelia Gray or Neva may move to Oregon
 
Feel free to provide updates, but this is what I think is the current population in US facilities:

Alaska Zoo - Anchorage, AK (0.1)
Cranbeary F (Kavek x Voda) b. 2001.11.21

San Diego Zoo - San Diego, CA (1.2)
Kalluk M (WILD x WILD) b. 2000
Chinook F (WILD x WILD) b. 1995
Tatqiq F (WILD x WILD) b. 2000

Brookfield Zoo - Brookfield, IL (1.1)
Hudson M (Aussie x Arki) b. 2006.12.14
Hope F (Marty x Crystal) b. 2015.12.03

Lincoln Park Zoo - Chicago, IL (1.1)
Siku M (Marty x Crystal) b. 2009.12.03
Talini F (Triton x Barle) b. 2004.11.22

Louisville Zoo - Louisville, KY (1.1)
Qannik F (WILD x WILD) b. 2011.01.10
Lee M (Yukon x Aurora) b. 1999.11.27

Maryland Zoo - Baltimore, MD (0.2)
Amelia Gray F (Nanuq x Anana) b. 2016.11.08
Neva F (Nanuq x Aurora) b. 2016.11.14

Detroit Zoo - Royal Oak, MI (1.2.1)
Nuka M (Kavek x Voda) b. 2004.11.25
Suka F (Marty x Crystal) b. 2012.11.21
TBD F (Nuka x Suka) b. 2020.11.17
TBD U (Nuka x Suka) b. 2020.11.17

Como Park Zoo - Saint Paul, MN (1.1)
Neil M (Irsinak x Skeena) 1995.12.09 (sterile)
Nanuyaak (WILD x WILD) b. 1994

Kansas City Zoo - Kansas City, MO (1.1)
Berlin F (Icee x Connie) b. 1989.12.11
Nuniq M (Nanuq x Aurora) b. 2016.11.14

Saint Louis Zoo - St. Louis, MO (1.0)
Kali M (WILD x WILD) b. 2013

Albuquerque BioPark Zoo - Albuquerque, NM (2.0)
Kiska M (Andy x Chinook) b. 1996.11.19 (sterile)
Koluk M (Andy x Chinook) b. 1996.11.19 (sterile)

Buffalo Zoo - Buffalo, NY (1.1)
Sakari M (Marty x Crystal) b. 2012.11.21
Luna F (Nanuq x Anana) b. 2012.11.27

Seneca Park Zoo - Rochester, NY (0.1)
Anoki F (Yukon x Aurora) b. 1996.11.20

North Carolina Zoo - Asheboro, NC (1.1)
Anana F (Yukon x Aurora) b. 1999.11.27
Payton M (Aussie x Arki) b. 2003.11.08

Cincinnati Zoo - Cincinnati, OH (1.0)
Little One M (Nauyat x Snowball) b. 1989.12.13

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium - Powell, OH (1.2)
Kulu M (Lee x Aurora) b. 2019.11.28
Anana F (Marty x Crystal) b. 2006.11.25
Aurora F (Marty x Crystal) b. 2006.11.25

Toledo Zoo - Toledo, OH (1.1)
Marty M (Aussie x Arki) b. 1996.11.25
Crystal F (Orca x Saskia) b. 1998.11.10

Oregon Zoo - Portland, OR (0.1)
Nora F (Nanuq x Aurora) b. 2015.11.06

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium - Pittsburgh, PA (0.1)
Snowflake F (Herman II x Becky) b. 1995.11.28

Memphis Zoo - Memphis, TN (1.1)
Haley F (Yukon x Aurora) b. 2002.11.15
Koda M (Kavek x Voda) b. 2004.11.25

Hogle Zoo - Salt Lake City, UT (1.0)
Nikita M (Marty x Nanuyaak) b. 2006.11.21

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium - Tacoma, WA (1.0)
Blizzard M (WILD x WILD) b. 1995

Henry Vilas Zoo - Madison, WI (1.1)
Berit F (Olaf x Ulu) b. 1998.12.28
Borealis M (Maty x Crystal) b. 2018.12.09

Milwaukee County Zoo - Milwaukee, WI (0.1)
Snow Lilly F (Nicklee x Penny) b. 1984.12.05

Total US Population
43 (19.23.1)
 
John Marchwick said:
Does anyone know if Anana ever came out of denning at the Columbus Zoo? I heard she hasn’t. Is this true? Or if they’re other bears who haven’t yet
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I had a friend visit yesterday and she only saw one polar bear out when she checked a couple of times in the afternoon. Unless Kulu was napping alone in the back, most likely it was Anana on exhibit (so no cub luck).
 
An article was posted yesterday about the Louisville Zoo's Polar Bears. It mentioned that the Zoo is hoping to get approval from the SSP and the USFWS to breed Qannik and Lee. Because Qannik is wild-born, there are restrictions against breeding her. So hopefully those will be lifted and we can see some cubs in Louisville within the next few years.

Will the Louisville Zoo polar bears be a love match?
 
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