My first visit to Flocke

25.8.2020 by Ralph Morton

I was nervous, wondering if M. Macron had decided to make us quarantine for 14 days. No. We were asked to give our address in UK and in Antibes and contact phone. The passport control was quick and friendly (unlike at Tegel!). I was able to find the taxi rank. A taxi driver told me how much it would cost to get to the Marineland Park. It was not cheap but it would get me there with plenty of time to visit Flocke. Harry, my driver, got us there in very good time.

I was able to get my online booking turned into a pass card at the reception and made my way through the park to the “Ours Blancs”. The Polar Bears are the furthest away from the main entrance.

The Polar Bears have three separate enclosures, which can be left open for them to move freely between them, or locked down separately. I reached the first enclosure and saw my first cub.

After 8 months the cubs have all features of adult Polars and are no longer the cute bundles of fur seen in April (I would have seen them – sigh). But they are much easier to photograph as they swim a lot and like to play with visitors.

The first of the two enclosures upstairs has a terrain area and a glass fronted pool where visitors can really meet the bears.

The first day (Monday 17 August) was so exciting that I did not get so many photos as later on. In particular, Flocke spends much of her time in the doorways to dens behind the enclosure. She is harder to catch on the phonecam. But she will appear in my later reports. She is very lucky as the three cubs are always busy and do not pester her for milk. The keeper told me later that they get so much solid food that Flocke only has to feed them now and again.

The three cubs, two boys and a girl, play separately and together. The water is always the best place to meet them.

The girl is the smallest cub but is the most curious and keenest to play at the glass with visitors.

My shopping bag was soon in action. It is difficult to film and play at the same time. Fortunately later on you will see other people playing with the cubs.

There is a lot more to come, three whole days worth. But I wanted to give you a feel for how exciting it was.

The three cubs are quite difficult to tell apart. These pictures appeared in KWM. The smallest, Tala, is the girl. Confusingly she has the nickname Tina, which the keepers use, and is short for Rasputina, as Raspi calls her. Tala and I spent a lot of time together, reminding me of Nuka and Qillak.