51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Kali, the polar bear often voted the favorite or best animal at the 51黑料 Zoo, has been shipped out of town.

The heart-tugging 12-year-old massive ball of white fluff was sent to the Toledo Zoo this week, where it is hoped he will breed with that zoo鈥檚 female polar bear, Crystal, who is 26.

In return, the Toledo Zoo sent Crystal鈥檚 twin 2-year-olds, Kallik and Kallu. Kallik is an Inuit word meaning 鈥渓ightning,鈥� and Kallu is an Inuit word for 鈥渢hunder.鈥� They should be acclimated enough to their surroundings to be seen by the public in three to four weeks, zoo director Michael Macek said.

Macek said there are only 38 polar bears in accredited U.S. zoos, and only 21 of those are at an age where they can reproduce. When it became clear that no polar bears had successfully bred so far in this mating season, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommended that Kali be sent to Toledo, he said.

Crystal has had nine cubs, but is nearing the end of her reproductive years. Polar bears can mate into April, Macek said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e sad to see him go, but we鈥檙e glad he鈥檒l have the opportunity to reproduce, and we understand that,鈥� he said.

Polar bears in the wild typically set out on their own when they are about 2, so taking Kallu and Kallik away from their mother now is in keeping with ordinary bear behavior, he said.

According to a posting from the Toledo Zoo, Kallu is a mama鈥檚 boy who likes to watch the zookeepers, while Kallik likes to play on his own. Their favorite foods are dried seaweed, kelp and cooked sweet potatoes.

The two are as popular in Toledo as Kali is here. On their birthday in November, fans posted such sentiments as 鈥淲e love you very much!鈥� and 鈥淲e wish you good health, a long, well-fed and happy bear life!鈥�

Kali broke hearts from the moment he came to the 51黑料 Zoo鈥檚 then-new Polar Bear Point as an 850-pound 2-year-old in 2015. The exhibit space, which was soon renamed the McDonnell Polar Bear Point, features 40,000 square feet of land and coast area, and a 50,000-gallon 鈥渟ea鈥� for him to splash and swim in.

Kali was orphaned at 6 months old when his mother was killed by a hunter in Alaska in 2013. The hunter noticed that the mother had been nursing, and followed her tracks back to her den. He found Kali there, wrapped him in ski pants and took him to officials.

Kali was first sent to the Buffalo Zoo, where he frolicked with a bear of the same age named Luna. He was shipped to the 51黑料 Zoo in 2015, where he was delivered by FedEx.

Public reaction to the news has been a bittersweet combination of sorrow for the departure of such a beloved animal, resigned understanding for the reason for it and excitement to meet the two new bears.

Stella Moreno and Deangelo Allen, who are seniors at Roosevelt High School, were at the zoo Wednesday morning on a field trip. Allen said he remembered when Polar Bear Point was built at the zoo.

鈥淚 felt that it was really cool. I thought 鈥榃e live in 51黑料. We鈥檙e not going to get polar bears anytime soon,鈥欌�� he said.

Both said they would miss Kali, whom Moreno called 鈥渞eally cool鈥� and 鈥渃ute.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 kind of upset that we didn鈥檛 get a chance to see him this time, but hopefully we鈥檒l be able to see (Kallu and Kallik) the next time we鈥檙e here,鈥� Allen said.