On Friday, April 28, the Toledo Zoo officially introduced its new twin polar bear cubs, Kallik and Kallu, to the Arctic Encounter exhibit. Kallik and Kallu are two male cubs who were born on November 11, 2022, to their mother Crystal, who after the birth of her new twins now has a total of nine cubs.
According to Michael Frushour, curator of mammals, the cubs stand out among their counterparts and “may be some of the most fun and rambunctious cubs we have ever had here at Toledo Zoo.”
The decision to exhibit Kallik and Kallu has followed close supervision of the cubs to ensure their proficiency in swimming and exploring their environment independently. The Toledo Zoo’s success in efforts to care and breed Kallik and Kallu is a testament to the Zoo’s 20 years of experience as a part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which helps promote the survival of select species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered species in the wild.
With polar bears listed as a “vulnerable” species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Zoo has included the cubs and other polar bears in its conservation efforts, which include maintaining a safe and enriching environment for the bears. The cubs can be visited at the Arctic Encounter daily from 10am to 5pm, or viewed on live stream.
To learn more about the Toledo Zoo and its polar bears, visit the Toledo Zoo’s website. To learn more about Toledo Zoo memberships, visit this page.
