3.5.2020 – by Molly Merrow, Photos by Michelle Rippey
She’s the grand dame of American polar bears. Snow Lilly of the Milwaukee County Zoo turned 35 years old in December and is the oldest polar bear in the Western Hemisphere. Snow Lilly is only three weeks younger than Katjuscha of the Berlin Zoo, who is the oldest polar bear in Europe.
We are lucky to have some photos shared by Michelle Rippey, who has visited Snow Lilly very often over the years, up until March 14, the day the Milwaukee County Zoo was closed due to the pandemic.
Michelle visited her two days before the zoo closed. She says, “I finally got lucky and caught a quick swim Lilly took on March 12th. At first she was in her favorite napping spot (the photo with her leg up which was her response when I said hello). I came back a few minutes later and she was up. She likes to test the water and dip her paw in, then walks another lap to think about it (I usually stick around since she’s most likely going in). That day she took a few slow laps, so she could clean herself. On warm days, she often can be seen relaxing on the steps of the pool blowing bubbles while drinking.”
Snow Lilly was born in Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York, to Penny and Nicklee. The cub moved to the Bronx Zoo in New York City when she was about 9 months old, where she lived for ten years, and had a son, Tundra in 1991 with Blizzard as the father. Blizzard died in 2006. Tundra stayed in the Bronx Zoo all his life, and died in 2017.
Snow Lilly moved to the Milwaukee County Zoo in 2005, where there was a male named Zero, who had been born at that zoo in 1989.
Snow Lilly didn’t really care much for Zero, or maybe she just wanted to be left alone. Zero was famous for going down into the moat and just staying there for weeks. He moved to Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester NY in 2010. A year later, a German circus bear, who had been rescued from a Mexican circus, arrived. Wilhelm was something of a celebrity bear and won many fans. Snow Lilly was not a fan, however. The keepers rotated them, so if one was outside, the other was in. Willie passed away in 2013, and Snow Lilly has been happily alone ever since.
Snow Lilly really enjoys her enrichment. For her 35th birthday, she had quite the party, with many presents and cards and decorations. She loved the crab legs, her favorite, and the ice treats.
A local company had donated a pallet of new cardboard boxes to the Milwaukee County Zoo, and some of these were used for Snow Lilly’s enrichment. She had fun with boxes filled with treats on January 21, and Michelle was there to take photos.
On Valentine’s Day, Snow Lilly had to hunt to find a bunny and other snacks hidden inside the box, and Michelle was there with her camera.
“Lilly has spunk! She loves boxes and finding tasty snacks inside. The first box she carried & smacked across the entire exhibit while getting the snacks hidden inside. I believe she also had peanut butter spread in there, which she loves.” The old lady polar bear carried the bunny around, and kept dipping it in the pool then continue to walk with it, and finally ate it. “She loves her bunnies,” observed Michelle, “and usually eats them in back, so it was a thrill to see.”
While Michelle can still watch Snow Lilly on one of the webcams offered by the zoo on their website, she misses seeing her and photographing her . “I love how her personality shines through in photos. Such a dramatic old gal she is. She was doing great last I saw her,” which was on March 14th.
Michelle says that Snow Lilly is fun to watch when the keepers are feeding the harbor seals. (Photos by Molly Merrow)
“She waits so patiently hoping a fish or two will come her way. Zoo visitors really enjoy watching her.”
The keepers told Michelle that our old bear’s favorite foods are grapes, peanut butter mixed with honey, tiny frozen smelt (fish fries), pig’s ears from Bunzels, crab legs, scallops, squid and pears.
The keepers also said that “Lilly is doing great.. She’s active and still playing, swimming and stalking us when the mood strikes her.”
Snow Lilly has long life genes. Her father lived to be 33, and her older sister Coldilocks lived to the ripe old age of 37, so Snow Lilly may be around for some time yet.
Thanks so much to Michelle for sharing these wonderful photos of beautiful Snow Lilly with us.
Be the first to comment