Polar bears in Europe

There was also the female Spunky. She arrived on 15 February 2003 and died in 2008.

 

Thank you! Then she is the female who lived with Ootek. I didn't remember her name before.

 

A polar bear was recently born at Dierenrijk. Parents of the cub are Wilbar and Frimas. According to Dierenrijk, they are currently genetically the most important pair in Europe. There are currently only three polar bear couples with a breeding recommendation.

Source: Dierenrijk

 

Polar bear female Charlotte left Karlsruhe Zoo this morning and is on her way to Zoosafari Fasanolandia in Italy. Only polar bear male Kap is now in Karlsruhe. He is one of the most genetically valuable polar bears in Europe. Therefore, a new female will soon come to Karlsruhe for him to breed with.

Source: Facebook Zoologischer Stadtgarten Karlsruhe

 

How many polar bears are kept in Italy?

 

In Italy, only Zoosafari Fasanolandia has polar bears. They have the two females Grace and Charlotte.

 

Thank you!

 

Just like last year, I have made a list of the current population to start the beginning of the year with. The list was made using updates done by the zoos themselves and some Holding Request I did at Species360 this year.

As always, if you see a mistake in the list, or you know more about one of the animals, please let me know.

Spoiler: Polar bears in Europe

There are currently 139 (59,79,1) Polar bears living in Europe.

AUSTRIA - 2 (2,0,0)
Tiergarten Schönbrunn Vienna (2,0,0)
1,0 Nanuq (30-11-2007, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)
1,0 Ranzo (18-11-2011, Ranua Wildlife Park)

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

CZECH REPUBLIC - 2 (1,1,0)
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)

DENMARK - 13 (4,9,0)
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)

Copenhagen Zoo (0,2,0)
0,1 Noel (03-12-2003, ZooSafari Fasanolandia)
0,1 Lynn (01-12-2011, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)

Skandinavisk Dyrepark Kolind (4,4,0)
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 Inuvik (06-12-2019, Kopenhagen Zoo)
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 (4,23,0)
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 (0,2,0)
0,1 Victoria (15-12-2002, Tierpark Hagenbeck)
0,1 Anouk (19-12-2022, Tierpark Hagenbeck)

Zoo Hannover (1,2,0)
1,0 Sprinter (13-12-2007, Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen)
0,1 Vera (21-11-2002, Moscow Zoo)
0,1 Milana (16-11-2009, Moscow Zoo)

Zoo Karlsruhe (1,0,0)
1,0 Kap (16-10-2000, Moscow Zoo)

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 (0,3,0)
0,1 Elva (26-11-2018, Dierenrijk)
0,1 Finja (09-11-2019, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)
0,1 Nana (20-11-2019, Zoo Hannover)

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 - 3 (2,1,0)
Budapest Zoo (1,0,0)
1,0 Lloyd (26-11-2000, Tiergarten Schönbrunn)

Sóstó Zoo (1,1,0)
1,0 Fiete (03-12-2014, Zoo Rostock)
0,1 Sneschana (10-11-2014, Moscow Zoo)

ITALY - 2 (0,2,0)
ZooSafari Fasanolandia (0,2,0)
0,1 Grace (06-12-2012, ZooSafari Fasanolandia)
0,1 Charlotte (21-11-2014, Tiergarten Nürnberg)

THE NETHERLANDS - 14 (6,7,1)
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 (1,1,1)
1,0 Wilbär (10-12-2007, Wilhelma Stuttgart)
0,1 Frimas (??-??-2002, Wild)
0,0,1 ? (28-11-2023, 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 - 33 (15,18,0)
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 (??-??-2014, Wild)

Izhevsk Zoo (1,1,0)
1,0 Balou (??-??-2013, Wild)
0,1 Dumka (??-??-2004, Wild)

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

Krasnoyarsk Zoo (2,2,0)
1,0 Felix (??-??-2005, Wild)
1,0 Yermak (01-12-2020, Gelendzhik Safaripark)
0,1 Ursula (??-??-2017, Wild)
0,1 Marfa (??-??-2018, Wild)

Limpopo Zoo (0,1,0)
0,1 Umka Ayan (??-??-2016, Wild)

Moscow Zoo (0,3,0)
0,1 Simona (27-11-1994, St. Petersburg Zoo)
0,1 Ajka (26-11-2020, Rostov-on-Don)
0,1 ? (??-??-????, ?)

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 (1,1,0)
1,0 Aion (??-??-2009, Wild)
0,1 Kometa (24-11-2012, Zoo Brno)

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

Seversk Zoo (1,0,0)
1,0 UD (29-11-1991, Kazan 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 Katanga (??-??-2019, Wild)

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)

UK - 16 (11,5,0)
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)

Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park (0,1,0)
0,1 Ewa (26-11-2005, Ouwehands Dierenpark)

Peak Wildlife Park (2,1,0)
1,0 Nanook (29-11-2021, Orsa Rovdjurspark)
1,0 Noori (29-11-2021, Orsa Rovdjurspark)
0,1 Hope (26-11-2014, Marineland Antibes)

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, one polar bear was born last year that is currently still alive.

Deaths
To my knowledge, 6 polar bears died last year. Females Marissa (29), Imaq (4), Zabava (9), Anina (24), Berta (19) and Miki (9).

Transfers
To my knowledge, 15 polar bears moved to another zoo last year.

Number of holders
Last year, Orsa Rovdjurspark stopped keeping polar bears. Their polar bears moved to two new holders, Jimmy's Farm and Peak Wildlife Park.

 

Next spring there will be a change among the polar bears at Zoo Praha. After the death of female Berta last year, only male Tom remains in Prague. On the advice of the coordinator of the European breeding programme, Tom will leave for Almaty Zoo in Kazakhstan this spring.

After Tom's move, the two males Gregor and Aleut from Warsaw Zoo will move to Prague.

Source: Zoo Praha

 

Pairi Daiza is currently home to two female and two male polar bears. The female bears share an enclosure and are separated from the males. But that is about to change. In the coming days, the bears will be carefully introduced to each other. The zoo hopes the animals will provide offspring in the future.

 

The cub is a male. He has been given the name Otis.

Source: Facebook Dierenrijk

 

7-year-old polar bear female Nuka moved from Pairi Daiza to Zoo Karlsruhe today. Here, she will form a pair with male Kap. The intention is that they will have offspring together.

Source: Facebook Zoo Karlsruhe

 

Polar bear females Flocke and Tala have moved from Yorkshire Wildlife Park to Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park.

Source: Facebook Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park

 

Tom moved to Almaty Zoo yesterday.

Source: Facebook Zoo Praha

 

The 23-year-old male Lloyd will soon move from Zoo Budapest to Sóstó Zoo.

Source: Facebook Zoo Budapest

For several years in a row, the offspring of polar bears at Tallinn Zoo have died shortly after birth. It has therefore been decided that polar bears Frida and Rasputin will no longer have offspring together. The coordinator of the breeding programme will now look for a female with good genes for the male Rasputin. The older female Frida is now ‘retired’.

Source (found via Eisbären im Zoo - Polar Bears in Zoos): Звездная пара Таллиннского зоопарка больше не вступит в „отношения“: медведю подыскивают новую невесту

 

Sad news.