Polar Personalities
Posted at 10:01 am July 10, 2008 by Kelly Murphy
A few short weeks after introductions, Kalluk, Chinook, and Tatqiq continue to get reacquainted with each other with continual greetings, lots of sniffing and investigating, and the occasional game of pool tag to help beat the heat. But one thing is for sure: their individual personalities are still shining through here at Polar Bear Plunge at the San Diego Zoo.
Kalluk (pictured above), whom I often refer to as a big lap dog due to his mellow personality, meets the day by his usual investigation of Chinook and checking in on what the girls’ activities include. When he’s sure he’s not missing out on something, then it’s time to settle down for a mid-morning snack. Of course, he’s quick to show us that once again we have failed at “Veggie Placement 101.” Apparently, just any pile of carrots won’t do! So he gathers as many as he can in his mouth (seems like four to six is preferred) and promptly carries them off to the correct place, where he begins his meal. Sometimes on really warm days this may even be in the pool at the structure we call “table rock.”
As for Chinook (pictured at left), she is still up to her bone antics. In preparation for introductions, we had stopped giving her a bone on exhibit on the slight chance she decided to hide it in the stash pipe, making it irretrievable (see Kelly’s blog, Polar Bears’ Stash). We didn’t want to take the chance of three bears wanting the one bone for a toy. But since things have progressed well, we reinstated this practice about a week or so ago. Well, my colleague shared with me that the other night she put Chinook on exhibit overnight without first placing her bone out there. Chinook thoroughly explored every inch of the exhibit, not quite sure why she hadn’t received it. As my colleague climbed up to the overlook (with the intention of throwing the bone in the exhibit), she was greeted by Chinook giving her the stink eye. Once Chinook realized the keeper had the bone, her expression changed into a “And I bet you’re going to throw it into the pool and make me go get it” look. Which is precisely what the keeper did! Needless to say, as we entered the exhibit the next morning, the bone was nowhere to be found, and we concluded that it did indeed make its way into the stash pipe. I guess this was Chinook’s way of letting us know she didn’t appreciate being made to wait and now she was in control of when we got the bone back.
Fortunately, Tatqiq (at right) was quick to retrieve it and start the day off with a play session. Tatqiq is very good about getting what she wants. She plays Keep Away with her brother or misleads him into thinking he wants a different toy when all along all she wants to do is get the one he has away from him. But either way, she’s been enjoying the warmer weather and regularly goes for a swim. And if she really wants some alone time, she’ll take her favorite toy and head up to the shallow pool just below the waterfall. This is barely big enough for Tatqiq, let alone three bears, although I must admit I’ve seen all three in there!
For you Zoo members or loyal Polar Cam watchers, this coming weekend is All About Enrichment weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday, we plan on giving the bears some special toys. Don’t worry, there will be three toys, one for each bear, so hopefully nobody will feel left out and all of them will get the chance to show off their swimming skills.
As we continue into summer, I look forward to the growing friendships and the playful antics of the bears. But like many of you, I too will have to be watching from afar. As a dedicated keeper, when we were told last summer that we would be heading into a breeding situation at polars, I took the news seriously. It is on that note that I finish out my last week before I head out on maternity leave! I know it’s not the outcome most were hoping for, but all the “regulars” here at the Zoo have been very excited and supportive. Hopefully it will be Chinook’s turn next year. I will return in a few months to pick up where I left off. Until then, keep enjoying the Polar Cam. I know I will!
Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. We wish her well as she prepares to welcome her own little one!
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July 10th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Congratulations, Kelly! Keep us posted on your progress with your own little one. At least there will be a little one in the Polar Bear Plunge family, although it won’t be all white and fuzzy. And, it will not grow by leaps and bounds like a polar cub. We are still excited for all of you. When Chinook has a little one next year (hopefully) your little one will be old enough to appreciate and ” grow up” with it.
Thanks for sharing such great insights into each bear’s personality and antics. They sound like teenagers with boundless energy, creativity, and zest for life. I am glad they have such a wonderful opportunity to spend their summer playing with each other.
July 10th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Congratulations, Kelly! That’s wonderful news! I can tell that you’ll be a great ” mama bear” !
July 10th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I always enjoy watching the bears on the cam and the articles that are written about them are always a joy to read. You can tell each person who writes loves their charges. Thanks for always keeping us up to date and good luck on your impending birth.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Congrats, Kelly! Hope you enjoy your time off bonding with your new little one. You will have to become one of ” us” , that is polar cam watchers so you can keep an eye on your other charges as well. I look forward to an update on you and how things are going. Thank you so much for all your wonderful polar bear blogs. I truly enjoy them!
July 10th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Kelly, your blogs have always been so enjoyable, full of details and humor. I will miss them very much.
Good luck with your expectancy and I hope all goes well and easily. I know that as much as you enjoyed caring for your animal ” friends,” you will love your time with your baby even more.
Thank you for taking the time to write your great blogs. I look forward to seeing them in the future when you can rejoin the SDZ. I will miss you, and the animals will miss you too.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Thank you for the great info on these beautiful bears. It was a great pick-me-up – just what I needed after reading about the death of Shi Shi Panda.
Congratulations, Kelly! Perhaps if you bring your baby to the Zoo, Chinook will get the idea! Enjoy every minute – the best times of your life are about to begin. I hope your fellow keepers will let us know when the blessed event occurs. Best of luck!
July 11th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Congrats, Kelly! How exciting!! Have a wonderful time with your new bundle of joy! Hopefully we will see you on this end of the blog!! It is such fun to watch them and see each one’s unique personality. One of the females always enchants me the way she does ” laps” . Is this Tatqiq? She swims straight across the deep end, reaches the stones, falls back and backfloats to the windows, and does this over and over with such grace and concentration! At this point even the toys don’t interest her! It is all about the laps! Chinook, I believe, is the one who sometimes seems to need enticing to get into the pool, though she gets very close to the edge and just isn’t sure to join in on the fun! Eventually, she usually does!! And Kalluk with his carrots. I have always called it stone table and love the way he likes to eat his carrots wet and drags them into the water. They are such a joy to watch!!!
July 11th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Awesome news Kelly, congrats and good luck…. thank you as always for leaving us on a fun note, and giving us the insight into the 3 bears personalities so maybe, just maybe, on the cam it might be a little easier to tell them apart from one another !! Will be getting my bear fix all weekend !!!
July 11th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Okay, I am jealous! Kelly must be watching (7pm Polar Bear Cam Time) because someone has the ability to follow the bear as she (Chinook??) is walking around the entire exhibit, with some wonderful closeups, including that of carrots and wet paw prints!! Yep…I’m watching and I’m jealous!!!
July 12th, 2008 at 8:48 am
What a great morning at the Zoo! Miss ZZ is fully engaged with a huge ice cylinder and enjoying herself to the max. All three polar bears are getting their frolic on with the red balls in their pool and chasing each other around! What fun to be a bear at the San Diego Zoo!!
July 12th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
It is harder for me to identify the bears since they all look similar. Is there any tips on spotting which bear is on the exhibit? I know for a fact that Kalluk is the biggest of all, but without size comparison, it’s always hard to tell.
I am enjoying the polar bear plunge camera as usual. One of the bears seems to be enjoying a treat on the rock at the center of the pool. What fun it is to be a polar bear at the SDZ!
July 13th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Lots of fun at the Plunge! Two bears went into the water, almost immediately and began to play. One remained (Tatqiq?) and bonded with every new toy, by biting them, placing them on her head, her tummy, rubbing her face against them and retrieving the ball out of one of them. Lots of blues and lavendar colours in the water! The 2nd bear (Chinook?) played a bit and then went for the carrots and is now out of sight. Kalluk(?) seems to have planted himself in a nice shady, wet spot for a cooling meal of something!! Eat first, play later! Enrichment days are always so much fun!!!
July 13th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
This enrichment weekend must have been exhausting. I’ve checked the Polar cam a couple of times and see a sleeping bear with what looks like a palm fond over his neck. There are also a couple of red balls nearby. Life is good for the polar bears in the San Diego Zoo!
July 17th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Oh my! I don’t know which bear is currently on the polar bear cam, but s/he is sleeping peacefully, and looking rather adorable! I wish I could have taken a picture of the bear like the panda cam! Too cute!
July 17th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Came on to check the bears before going to bed, myself, and lo and behold…a lovely closeup of one snuggling with a palm or branchy thing! What a wonderful way to end my day! Thank you for the closeups for us cam only watchers. It is an amazing treat to see these bears up close and how beautiful they truly are!!
July 17th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
SAW alot of good cam pictures tonight before dark! close-up pictures of a beautiful sleeping bear!
I enjoyed seeing all around the surrounding areas that I haven’t seen before. i am a fairly new cam
person at the zoo and am amazed at this zoo and the wonderful web cams. whoever mans the cams
does a wonderful job!! I will be checking out these polar beauties and the amazing pandas every-day!
these animals may live in a zoo, but WHAT A WONDERFUL ZOO! a great life and wonderful care!
July 20th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
As I watched the bears swimming this afternoon (in the chilled water), I was jealous!!! It is very HOT outside here in Austin. I try to catch the bears when they are playing in the water–it is so relaxing to see. Moderator: Is it Tatqiq that swims laps on her back? She does some fine, Olympic worthy turns!!!! Thanks for the cam pictures–would LOVE to see closeups of the lap swimmer!
Moderator’s note: According to our animal care staff, Chinook is the bear who likes to swim laps. Tatqiq spends more time playing in the water, often with toys. Hopes this helps!
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I don’t know who is in the pool right now, but this jolly, happy bear is sitting upright and enjoying its treats! I have never seen polar bears sitting upright like humans, but it certainly looks darling! As my roommate says, it would make a great Coca Cola commercial! =)
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Thanks moderator for the note! I do recall seeing a bear swimming laps during one summer night after it was dark. The lights around the pool was lit, and I could vividly see a bear doing the laps, and I was simply in awe!
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:23 am
For Grace. Generally I recognize Kalluk by his size. He is noticeably larger than the others. Otherwise I look at the tops of their head. Chinook has a flat brow; Tatqiq has a knob on the top of her head. Chinook’s ears are placed near the top, and Tatqiq’s are lower set. If I can’t get that view, Chinook has longer legs, sometimes rather a gangly look. Tatqiq is definitely the graceful one, particularly under water.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:39 am
Diane – thank you for your observations and help in identifying each polar bear — I often wonder which of the girls is doing what — since Kalluk is bigger and easier to recognize. I just love, love watching them all play and interact in the water – such fun times they seem to have.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Kelly, thank you for a very interesting article. Thank you too, for being our polar bear guide at the panda and polar bear breakfast and telling us all so much about the bears. They are soooo lovely close up. I hope all goes well for you and your own little one. Best wishes and I look forward to more articles when you come back.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
For Diane (comment #20): Thanks for the tip! It will definitely be a lot more meaningful when I can recognize which bear is doing what! =)
July 25th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Neat about that being Chinook who is doing the laps. She is quite the Olympian! I love the way she gets so into it and no toy or bear can distract her. Laps first. Play later! Or maybe I will nickname her the ” lap and nap” bear!
July 25th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Hi Kelly! Hurry up with that baby. We miss you. Tatqiq misses you terribly.
July 30th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Susan # 22 — I’m so glad you and your daughter had a great time at the SDZ — I’m so jealous! Did you make it to the WAP — I hope so. Although they do not have polar bears — the WAP does have those adorable lion cubs.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:21 am
August 1st and the polar bears are having more fun than I’ve ever seen. They have a couple of big tubs in the water with them and just having a glorious time playing with each other and the tubs. That’s the best enrichment toy I’ve ever seen. Thank you polar bear keepers.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:53 am
I hope you’ve all been watching the duck pond today. Looks like Tatqiq is training for the Olympics, pushing off with a backstroke and then pushing back with a breast stroke. Kalluk just wants to play, and Chinook is watching from the ” table” in the front section of the cam view. Very entertaining! I love these beautiful creatures.
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:57 am
Yippee, I know everyone! Chinook is doing her lovely laps, Kalluk is watching from stone table and Tatqiq is playing with all the toys in the water!!! I love these bears!!! A fun and happy day at the plunge!!
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 am
Cheryl #26, yes we did go to the WAP. And we were able to go behind the scenes and see three of the lion cubs that were inside. Not so little now! They were watching us as we took photos through the glass and I think they were hungry. Outside. Dad was being pestered by another little one and was not amused!
I do love those polars though. I also love watching Chinook do her laps – she should be entered for the animal olympics. Those turns are really professional – I never mastered them at all.
If you want to read my story of the SDZ and WAP, they’re on the Congratulations Guo Guo section. Going to look at all our photos tonight. I’ve got to come to the Zoo again, I still haven’t seen it all.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I was just treated to some very nice camera shots. One of the bears was already in the pool, beckoning another to come in and play. Within seconds, I saw the other bear jumping into the pool, splashing water all around, and the two are having a grand time ever since! What fun it is to be polar bears at the SDZ!
August 5th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Congratulations Kelly!!! We hope you come back soon and let us know about your baby!
The bears are having so much fun today. I truly enjoy watching them in their pool. It is so hot and dry here; it is very nice to see them in their cool pool. We can say Ahhhhh and relax with them. Thank you for the Polar cam!
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
The bears are certainly enjoying their enrichment items today. Somebody just couldn’t part with the burlaps offered by the keepers! What fun it is for the polar bears to have a toy on hand!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Thanks to the volunteer/zoo staff who is manning the polar bear cam right now! I am getting a close-up shot of a bear eating his/her meal. It’s awesome!
August 12th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I hope I am identifying the bears correctly…It seems that it is Kalluk who likes to rest and sleep on the rock near the viewing window. And I knew he is the biggest bear of all, but he is BIG!!!!!
August 15th, 2008 at 12:23 am
For a few days now I’ve noticed something – a new toy? – either in the water or on the table rock at the side, but I can’t figure out what it is. Does anyone know? It looks brown in colour.
Moderator’s note: That long brown thing is a palm frond leaf base (the part of the palm frond that wraps around the trunk of certain palm species). Keepers report that this is a seasonal item for the bears and they enjoy shredding them. Kalluk also likes to use one as a pillow!
August 17th, 2008 at 12:51 am
How sweet! It’s around midnight on Sunday morning (SDZ time) and one of the polar bears is asleep on the table rock where the palm frond is. I wonder if it’s Kalluk, having sweet dreams on his pillow?
August 19th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Oh the life of a polar bear…What a luxury it is. I am watching the polar cam, and one of the threesome sits in the water with his/her back leaning against the rock. S/he had both of the paws out in front, just below the water surface as if to cool off his paws and bask in the glorious sunshine. Too fun to look at!
August 26th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I have just turned in on the cam and am watching a bear (female?) pressing their feet and nose to the glass wall. Something has really caught their attention, be it their own reflection or something inside. I was also wondering if they are looking for Kelly??? Lots of fun toys and some palms out to play with on a sunny day! Looks like great fun to me!! And some zoo visitors are probably getting some great photos of a bear belly!!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Somebear (Kalluk?) is asleep on the palm frond again. Is it the texture he likes? The odor? The sound? I think he comes from the wrong place if palm trees are his idea of a good time!
August 29th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Diane, I’m imagining a polar bear in the wild dragging this huge palm frond that he bought at the local palm frond shop, around! Now there’s a thought!!
August 30th, 2008 at 5:56 am
5.50am SDZ time and one of the bears has the pool all to him/herself. It’s beautifully lit up and he/she is practising some diving and underwater turning techniques – maybe for the 2012 polarympics?
September 4th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Too cute! There are presently two bears on either side of the stone table, sitting, waiting, as though they expect a waiter to come up and serve them grilled seal, with a side of raw carrots!!!
September 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Chase and dive, chase and dive, chase and dive……and I think Kelly is at the controls! Thank you for the closeups! They swim and run pretty fast for such large and heavy bears! It has been a while since I have come online at the right time to watch them do this. Perfect timing!!
September 6th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I’ve noticed that Kalluk has got too big to ” sit” at the table anymore, so he’ll be the one on the far side of it. I think Tatqiq has taken over the throne, not that she wasn’t always in charge anyhow.
I expect they’d order baked Alaska for dessert.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
How beautiful the pool is looking (12.25am SDZ time). It’s lit up and looking so inviting. I also saw one of the bears at the table a few days ago, waiting for his/her lunch!
September 13th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Is that Kalluk I see wearing what looks like a black plastic crate on his head? He pushed it into the pool and proceeded to push his head inside and swim around quite happily, pouncing on it when it got away!!
December 7th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Kalluk has new palm fronds this morning. He is, of course, lolling on top of them.