Polar bear twins Anna and Elsa leave the zoo by the sea: a forever farewell!

Polar bear twins Anna and Elsa leave the zoo by the sea: a forever farewell!

A moving story comes to an end at the Zoo by the Sea in Bremerhaven. The polar bear twins Anna and Elsa, who were born in December 2019, have to leave the zoo because it is no longer possible to live with their mother Valeska. After almost five years of harmonious coexistence, the family idyll came to an end. This is reported by Nordsee-Zeitung.

The birth of the two bears, who were initially blind and weighed only around 600 grams, caused great excitement back then. The first visitors experienced the twins' first trip to the outdoor area in March 2020. It was clear then: something very special was created here. Although the names Anna and Elsa only came in fifth place in the name search, they remained unforgettable for animal rights activists and fans.

A difficult farewell

Saying goodbye to Anna and Elsa will not be easy for the zookeepers and visitors. In the coming days, animal lovers will have the opportunity to say goodbye to the two before they move to the zoo in Brno, Czech Republic. However, the exact timing of this move has not yet been determined. The reason for the separation from their mother is a necessary step for the animals' future - in the wild, polar bear offspring stay with their mother for around 1.5 to 2 years, explains Weser-Kurier.

The separation was not spontaneous; Repeated attempts to reunite failed after the family grew apart. This means that the zoo's fan base, which has taken the charming bears into their hearts, is now suffering. The father of the two, polar bear Lloyd, left the zoo three years ago and now lives in Karlsruhe.

Insight into keeping polar bears

Keeping polar bears is a controversial topic. Critics, such as the animal rights organization Peta, denounce the conditions under which animals live in zoos as species-unfriendly. Nevertheless, many zoos argue that keeping them is essential for the preservation of the species. In the Karlsruhe Zoo, where there was recently a birth of a polar bear baby, the importance of a representative breeding program is underlined. These breeding programs are approved by the European Endangered Species Program (EEP), which promotes the conservation breeding of polar bears without endangering the already endangered genetic diversity.

The positive experiences with polar bears in the zoo make it clear that the cry for species-appropriate husbandry and responsible handling of this majestic animal species is not only justified, but also urgently needed.