New polar bear, Kali, joins the Detroit Zoo’s Arctic Ring of Life

ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoo announced Jan. 30 that it had welcomed Kali, a new polar bear, to the Arctic Ring of Life.

Kali came from the Toledo Zoo as a planned move meant to support the long-term sustainability of polar bear populations in zoos. The previous male bear to live at the Detroit Zoo, Nuka, has moved to the Toledo Zoo. 

Tami Brightrall, associate curator of mammals for the Detroit Zoological Society, said that Kali, 13, was rescued as a cub after being found orphaned by residents of the Native Village of Point Lay, Alaska, in 2013. 

“He was a wild polar bear in Alaska, and he was orphaned, so he was put in the care of zoos,” she said. “He went to the Buffalo Zoo in New York, and started his life there as a baby that was being hand raised. And after he grew up, he was transferred to the St. Louis Zoo, and lived there for quite some time.”

Kali was transferred to the Toledo Zoo in 2025 when he became breeding age, Brightrall said. From there Kali was transferred to the Detroit Zoo per the Polar Bear Population Alliance’s request, which is a group dedicated to making sure there is genetic diversity with polar bears. 

“They are trying to move bears around in zoos to ensure that we have breeding success, and also unrelated bears are breeding with each other,” she said. “So, Kali is being given the chance here at the Detroit Zoo to breed with both of our females, Haley and Suka.”

Kali is a special bear, according to Brightrall. Because his genetics are from wild Alaskan polar bears, he is not related to any bear in any zoo, anywhere. 

Brightrall said that there are only about 35 polar bears in the country, which is not that many, so new cubs are important.

“We need to do and try a lot of different things. That’s where the Polar Bear Population Alliance comes in and is really trying to move bears around, shake things up a little bit, get some bears that maybe do not know each other, and we are excited to have him (Kali) here,” she said. 

Although the zookeepers are excited for the new fur face, Brightrall said they will still miss Nuka. 

“He’s a wonderful bear too, but he’s going to have a really great time at the Toledo Zoo because he has already been paired up with Crystal in the past,” she said. “He and Crystal get along well and they have had cubs together. So, that should be great for Nuka and he’s in great hands at the Toledo Zoo.”

Detroit Zoo mammal supervisor Flo Yates said that Kali is adjusting well with the two female polar bears that already live at the zoo, Suka, 13, and Haley, 23. At the moment they are introducing the bears slowly on opposite sides of the 4-acre habitat. 

“He’s obsessed with the girls right now. There is no treat as exciting as a female,” Yates said. “We haven’t put them (the bears) together yet, but they interact through a mesh barrier. They are just talking and getting to know each other. We have seen all positive signs with them interacting.”

Kali is around 1,300 pounds, according to Yates. 

“Hes a big boy, he’s navigating our space, learning the habitats, learning the keepers, he’s kind of the new guy in town, so we are getting him used to everything,” she said. “He’s very inquisitive and interested in our spaces.”

The Detroit Zoo is home to one of the largest habitats for polar bears of all the zoos, so Kali has a lot to explore at his new home.

Thanks to the cold temperatures and heavy snowfall, it’s the perfect time to visit the big guy. 

“We have a lot of people in this community, or guests at the zoo, that really, really love polar bears, and they love to see them, and it isn’t the best time to come out and about, I get that, but if people really want to see polar bear behavior, polar bears in action, polar bears doing what polar bears do, please come to the zoo now,” Brightrall said. “We want to emphasize that this is the time to really enjoy the polar bears.”

Kali and the other zoo animals are available to be visited during regular zoo hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and beginning April 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

For more information, visit detroitzoologicalsociety.com.