St. Louis (March 5, 2025) — The Saint Louis Zoo said farewell this week to resident polar bear Kali and welcomed two playful 2-year-old polar bear twins in an exchange with the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium.
The moves followed a breeding recommendation reached by members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) aimed at enhancing the genetic diversity of this threatened species. Once the zoos received the recommendations, the moves took place quickly because of the short, seasonal window for polar bear breeding.
Kali (Cull-ee), 12, journeyed to Toledo where he will be paired with Crystal, Toledo Zoo’s resident 26-year-old polar bear. This will be Kali’s first opportunity to mate. As an orphaned wild-born bear, his genes are especially valuable to the genetic diversity of polar bears in human care.
“Kali is a special bear beloved by so many people here in St. Louis,” said Julie Hartell-DeNardo, the Zoo’s Kevin Beckmann Curator of Carnivores. “While we’ll miss him greatly, this important opportunity allows Kali to contribute to the future of his species.”
In a simultaneous move, Crystal’s twin sons, Kallu (Kah-Loo) and Kallik (Kah-Leek), moved this week to Saint Louis Zoo’s 40,000-squre-foot polar bear habitat, McDonnell Polar Bear Point.
This energetic duo is expected to make their public debut in the coming weeks after a quarantine and acclimation period in their new environment.
About the Bears
Kali was orphaned as a cub near the Alaska Native Village of Point Lay where residents rescued him and released him to the care of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 2013. He was named for the Iñupiaq name for Point Lay by the students at Kali School in honor of their community.
Following a recommendation by the USFWS, Kali moved to Saint Louis Zoo in 2015 as the first resident of Polar Bear Point.
During his nearly 10 years in St. Louis, Kali went from a 2 ½-year-old adolescent bear weighing about 750 lbs. to an adult that weighs up to 1,300 lbs. during his heaviest times of year.
Kali soon became known by his Saint Louis Zoo care team as gregarious, curious and intelligent. He often seemed to enjoy watching Zoo guests as much as they loved watching him. Kali enjoys using his strength and smarts to engage with his habitat and solve enrichment puzzles and activities. Years of positive reinforcement-based training have taught Kali to voluntarily participate in many behaviors that benefit his care and health.
The twins, Kallik and Kallu, were born at Toledo Zoo in November 2022 and are named for Indigenous words for Lightning and Thunder.
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.
Kallik, the smaller of the two males at 620 lbs., is bolder and quicker to investigate new enrichment and spaces. The meaning of his name, Lightning, fits his tendency to zip around his habitat.
Kallu weighs about 740 lbs. and is very food-motivated during training. He is more cautious and tends to let his brother lead when exploring new things.
Polar Bear Conservation at Saint Louis Zoo
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The species faces a risk of significant population decline caused by loss of sea ice from climate change.
The Saint Louis Zoo is committed to safeguarding this species through collaborative breeding programs, conservation initiatives in the Arctic and education.
In 2024, the Zoo launched the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Polar Bear Conservation, a dynamic conservation program focused on protecting polar bears and collaborating with Arctic communities.
Current initiatives include:
- Aiding development of polar bear tracking ear tags to enhance species research.
- Partnering with global nonprofit Polar Bears International to help fund research on polar bear denning behavior.
- Partnering with global nonprofit World Wildlife Fund to support programs in Alaska Native villages to minimize human-polar bear conflict.
- Using Zoo outreach to educate guests and amplify perspectives from Alaska Native communities.
- Working with Alaska Native village partners and the Alaska Nanuut Co-Management Council to support non-lethal polar bear deterrence methods as more bears approach communities due to sea ice changes.
McDonnell Polar Bear Point
Opened in June 2015, McDonnell Polar Bear Point includes a 40,000-square-foot public habitat that transitions seamlessly from sea to coastline to land. The public habitat features two temperature-controlled pools and an arctic cave room that offers up-close underwater views.
The habitat was made possible by $134 million in charitable commitments including a leadership gift from the JSM Charitable Trust, Mr. and Mrs. James S. McDonnell III and Mr. and Mrs. John F. McDonnell. Polar Bear Point also includes a Care Center that is not viewable by the public. This space offers animals privacy and includes four bedroom spaces, a denning area and an outdoor off-exhibit habitat.
Saint Louis Zoo
Home to 12,000 animals, representing nearly 450 species, the Saint Louis Zoo is recognized worldwide for its innovative approaches to animal care and management, wildlife conservation, research and education. One of the few free zoos in the nation, the Saint Louis Zoo is the most-visited attraction in the region. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Saint Louis Zoo is part of an elite group of institutions that meet the highest standards in animal care as well as provide fun, safe and educational family experiences. The Saint Louis Zoo and other AZA-accredited institutions collectively dedicate millions of dollars annually to support scientific research, conservation and education programs. For more information, visit stlzoo.org.
Video of polar bear twins Kallu and Kallik (courtesy Toledo Zoo)
