ST. LOUIS – The Saint Louis Zoo announced Wednesday that they have exchanged one of their long-time resident polar bears for young polar bear twins from Toledo.
12-year-old polar bear Kali was moved this week to the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, following 10 years at the Saint Louis Zoo, based on breeding recommendations to “enhance the genetic diversity of this threatened species” from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. According to a release, the breeding window is short, so the exchange occurred quickly out of timing concerns.
“As an orphaned wild-born bear, his genes are especially valuable to the genetic diversity of polar bears in human care,” the release stated.
Kali will join the 26-year-long polar bear resident Crystal in Toledo, presenting the first opportunity for Kali to mate, the zoo added.
“Kali is a special bear beloved by so many people here in St. Louis,” Julie Hartell-DeNardo, the Zoo’s Kevin Beckmann Curator of Carnivores, said in a release. “While we’ll miss him greatly, this important opportunity allows Kali to contribute to the future of his species.”
In exchange of Kali, the Saint Louis Zoo received Crystal’s twin son polar bears, Kallu and Kallik—whose names mean thunder and lightning, respectively—who were born in November 2022. They will be located in the 400,000-square-foot McDonnell Polar Bear Point.
“The brothers are known for their close bond. They love to play and spar together during the day and often cuddle side-by-side at night. In Toledo, the twins enjoyed diving into their habitat pool, training with special treats like canned tuna and nori seaweed and playing with enrichment items like giant pickle-shaped pool toys,” the release added.
According to the Saint Louis Zoo, polar bears are deemed an Endangered Species following “significant population decline caused by loss of sea ice from climate change.” Last year, the zoo created a conservation program in effort to protect polar bears by partnering with different communities, public education, and working on several initiatives. For details about the program, click here.
Guests will be able to visit Kallu and Kallik at the Saint Louis Zoo in the upcoming weeks after they’ve acclimated to the new environment.