The St. Louis Zoo is losing adored polar bear Kali but has welcomed 2-year-old polar bear twins to take his place.
Kali moved to St. Louis in 2015 and was the first polar bear to take residence in the 40,000-square-foot polar bear habitat called McDonnell Polar Bear Point. But on Tuesday, Kali was shipped off to his new home in Ohio where he will, for the first time, mate with Crystal, a 26-year-old resident polar bear at the Toledo Zoo.
Subsequently, Crystal’s two twin cubs, Kallik and Kallu, journeyed this week to the St. Louis Zoo, where they now reside in the polar bear habitat. They were born at the Toledo Zoo in November 2022, and their names mean “Lightning" and "Thunder.”
St. Louis Zoo officials said the two bears love to play and spar together during the day and often cuddle side-by-side at night.
Zoo Director Michael Macek said the move was expedited to meet the breeding season deadline that ends next month. Only 21 of the 38 polar bears in U.S. zoos are reproductively viable, and he said none has reproduced in the past year.
Kali will be missed, he added.
“It's bittersweet, but we're happy for Kali because he'll have an opportunity to contribute to the population,” Macek said. “He'll have an opportunity to contribute his genes to the population and reproduce, which is great for the well-being of the bears and the twins.”
Kali was rescued as a cub by local residents near the Alaska Native Village of Point Lay and released into the care of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2013 before he joined the zoo in St. Louis. During his nearly 10 years in St. Louis, Kali went from a 2 ½-year-old adolescent bear weighing about 750 pounds to an adult weighing up to 1,300 pounds at certain times of the year.
Under a Facebook post announcing the news, hundreds of people flooded the comment section, sharing memories of visiting Kali at the St. Louis Zoo, while others expressed disappointment that they didn’t get to say goodbye.
Patrice Wilson said she was heartbroken by the news of Kali’s departure. She said that his habitat was often the first stop for her grandchildren during visits.
“Farewell, sweet Kali, who always swam over to high-five the kids from his pool,” Wilson wrote.
Victoria Runyon posted that Kali was a sweet bear who was always active.
“I have also been to the Toledo Zoo, and Kali will do amazing!” Runyon wrote. “I am glad that the zoos care so much to preserve the species. While Kali will be missed, I am sure these two new little bears will be in Saint Louis for a long time to come.”
Kallik weighs 620 pounds and is bold and quick to investigate new spaces. His brother Kallu weighs about 740 pounds and is less brave but follows his brother’s lead and is food-motivated during training, officials said.
They said the twin cubs will make their public debut in the coming weeks after adjusting to their new environment.
Correction: Only 21 of 38 polar bears in U.S. zoos are reproductively viable. A previous version of this story said it was 21 of 38 polar bears in North American zoos.
