11.12.2022 by Johanna Berglund, Photos by Linnea Andersson
On the 30th of November we had a polar bear birthday party for Ewa, Miki, Hope, Noori and Nanook!
As polar bear parties are quite common in our park, we knew exactly how we would do. The cakes are prepared several days in advance as the mixtures have to be mixed and frozen between layers of crispbread. The concoctions consisted of yoghurt, apple, pear, muffins and fish. These, as mentioned, are placed between Leksand’s crispbread and topped with melon, meringues and coconut but this time there was also a small melon bowl with a ‘skagen cone’ (ice cream cone with prawns) and a big coconut bun.
Everybear got a cake, so 5 cakes in total. There were also parcels containing plastic cans which are the favourite toys of the polar bears. They were wrapped in cardboard boxes with gift wrap but then we laced them with strawberry and caramel flavoured candy strings. This was the kids’ first real polar bear party.
We keepers chose to set up in the Polar World with long tables, party hats and lunch and then we just enjoyed watching the polar bears snapping at the goodies and opening their parcels.
Miki, who is both a bit sceptical and very playful, chose to inspect the cake first, eat some meringues and coconut bun and then it was full play right away with the parcels and cans. More in the water than on land.
Ewa who is a patient mum chose to spend the time at the cakes and then go and find the candy strings that Miki scattered across the pond during her play.
Noori and Nanook both ate cake first but quickly got over to the gift parcels. By the time much of the cake was eaten and all three were playing. Even Hope who often chooses to watch was playing with the cans together with her kids.
A very successful party and the polar bears’ bellies must have feen well filled for days after! đ
PĂ„ svenska:
Den 30/11 hade vi isbjörnskalas för Ewa, Miki, Hope, Noori och Nanook!
DÄ isbjörnskalas Àr ganska vanligt hos oss i parken sÄ visste vi precis hur det skulle gÄ till. TÄrtorna förbereds fler dagar i förvÀg dÄ röror ska blandas iordning och frysas mellan knÀckebröd i olika lager. Rörorna bestod dels av yoghurt, Àpple, pÀron, muffins och fisk. Dessa lÀggs som sagt mellan Leksands knÀcke och toppas med melon, marÀnger och kokos men denna gÄng ocksÄ en liten melonskÄl med en skagenstrut och kokoslÀngd.
Alla fick en varsin tÄrta sÄ totalt 5 tÄrtor. Det ges Àven paket och i dessa fick alla en varsin plastdunk som Àr favoritleksaken hus isbjörnarna. Det slogs in i kartonger med presentpapper men sedan snörar vi in dem med godissnören med jordgubbs och kolasmak. Detta var ungdomarnas första riktiga isbjörnskalas.
Vi sjÀlva valde att duka upp i Polar World med lÄngbord, partyhattar och lunch sen bara avnjuta nÀr isbjörnarna högg in pÄ godsakerna och öppnade paket.
Miki som Àr bÄde lite skeptisk och sÄ himla lekfull valde att första inspektera tÄrtan, Àta lite marÀnger och kokoslÀngd sedan var det full lek direkt med paket och dunkar. Mer i vattnet Àn pÄ land.
Ewa som Àr en tÄlmodig mamma valde att spendera tiden vid tÄrtorna för att sedan gÄ och leta rÀtt pÄ de godissnören som Miki spritt ut över dammen under hennes lek.
Noori och Nanook Ät bÄda tÄrta först men fick snabbt över till paketeten. NÀr mycket av tÄrtorna var uppÀtna sÄ var alla 3 igÄng med lek, Àven Hope som ofta vÀljer att titta pÄ var med och jagade ungar med dunkar.
Ett vÀldigt lyckat kalas och isbjörnarna var mÀtta flera dagar efter detta!
What a great birthday party for the Bears and their Cubs!!
It must have been great for the keeper team to see what happened to their presents and cakes.
I certainly thought it was a great party!
Thank you for the wonderful report.
Hugs,
Anita
Happy birthday dear Ewa, Miki, Hope, Noori and Nanook. Best wishes to all of you. We love you all.
Dear Mervi!
What a beautiful and loving birthday surprise for the bears in Orsa! That must have been a great party and a joy for the keepers to watch their beloved polar bears.
I was very touched by the wonderful pictures and I think it’s great that the keepers showed so much love to their protĂ©gĂ©s one more time.
It is heartbreaking that it is not going on in Orsa!
A big thank you to the keepers, love and all the best for the future, also for the animals!
Hugs
Anke
Dear Mervi, thank you very much for this wonderful report by Johanna Berglund. The photos by Linnea Andersson are wonderful.
The keepers have put a lot of effort into preparing a great party for the bears. The presents are great and the cakes too, of course. I especially like that the keepers were part of the party and prepared a birthday table for themselves in the polar world.
Dear Johanna Berglund and Mervi!
I am very glad that the bears got a birthday party. Thank you for the wonderful pictures.
Hugs
Ludmila
Mervi this touching and beautifully illustrated photo is still very sad to read as it shows four beautiful polar bears who are having to give up their home for no good reason.
Deear Mervi, this birthday party prepared by the keepers is on the one hand heart warming. The bears do clearly enjoy it. But on the other hand, it is heart breaking for the keepers because they know the entire background story. I bow my head for them.
Dear Mervi,
dear Johanna & Linnea,
I am deeply touched with how much love and beautiful ideas the birthday party in Orsa was celebrated! Probably there was also a lot of melancholy among the keepers because they don’t know how long the bears will be in their care and therefore we are also very sad despite the beautiful photos.
Therefore, I also wish them good luck from the bottom of my heart when they will have to end their work at Orsa Zoo someday.
Brizza-Gudrun
Diese Geburtstagparty war so schön,fĂŒr liebe BĂ€ren, Aber es ist so traurig das Orsa Park geschlossen wurde und wohin alle BĂ€ren jetzt, WĂŒnsche Tierpflegern /innen/ Viel Kraft, GlĂŒck und alles Gute!
Ooops, I am sorry I was quite sure I had already commented on this nice publication . . . but may be – I remember far behind in my memory – my intention was to give somebody else (who was e.g. more involved and engaged in the ‘ORSA-Affair’ than myself) the advantage to comment FIRST.
I agree: Johanna Berglund and Linnea Andersson deserve a big THANK YOU that they have got the energy and lots of love towards ‘their’ animals, as they are able to gon on in an atmotsphere among humans of surrender and/or lack of interest in saving a good environment and life for so many animals and also for the joy (and education!) of many visitors.
Also a big THANK YOU to you, dear Mervi, that also you still stick to optimism or rather last hope in what is concerned ‘ORSA’ and also your own three ‘publication babys’. Thanks for still having this chance to keep in contact (at least on a virtual basis) with so many animals and their friends we were as lucky as to get acquinted with already many years ago . . .
Good Luck! and Best Wishes to everyone who is still active (animals and humans!) in the ‘ORSA Raubtierpark’***
***(see link below, which I hope will be allowed for one time:
https://www.schwedentipps.se/dalarna/orsa-raubtierpark/ )