Und ein Elefantengeburtstag....Marlar turns 3 - Happy Birthday...!

Hier gleich nach der Geburt vor drei Jahren am 30.März...-
Three years ago....after her birth on March 30...
Hier mit einem Jahr, der Zoo in Köln feiert etwas verspätet...Marlar ist eine Berühmtheit in Köln...-
Here she turns one and the zoo in Cologne invites for a party, 2 days late but Marlar didn't care...
By the way in Cologne she is a celebrity... Sie liebt rote Bälle.... - She loves to play with red balls...
Hier im Kindergarten mit MingJung (links) und Maha Kumari und den Kindergartentanten natürlich...-
Here in kindergarten with MingJung(left) and Ku and with the kindergarten aunties...Sie ist nicht nur der Lieblingselefant von UlliJ aus Düren...-She is not only the favourite elephant of UlliJ from Düren...Als erster in Köln geborener Elefant innerhalb des großangelegten Zuchtprogramms, machte Marlar Schlagzeilen vom ersten Tag ihrer Geburt an, ähnlich wie in Berlin Knut, vor allem nachdem die Kleine bereits im Dezember Waise wurde, nachdem ihre Mutter Khaing Lwin Htoo (26) nach monatelangen schweren Blasenbeschwerden und begleitenden Entzündungen eingeschläfert werden musste.-

As she was the first elephant born in Cologne when they started there a huge breeding program, she made the headlines similar to Knut, especially after she became an orphan some months later in December when the life of her mother Khaing Lwin Htoo (26) had to be ended after suffering from painful infections of the bladder (retroflexio versicae)...Hier mit der Mama...- Here with Mama...
Auch in der Krimiszene machte sie sich einen Namen....-
She also made herself a name in detective stories.... Aber den Vogel schießt sie ab mit ihrer 3. Geburtstagssfeier...Oder haben Sie etwa schon mal aus Elefantendung Papier gemacht...? Marlar macht alles möglich...-

But the clou is her third birthday party, this time celebrated one day in advance...So have you ever recycled elephant dung/muck into paper...? With Marlar everything is possible...So all the best to the most famous elephant around Cologne...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE BIG MARLAR!

Photo credits: Kölner Stadtanzeiger, Zoo Köln, dpa, wdr blog, Internet und Ulli J...

6 Monate ohne Simba...

...und der Hauch eines Regenbogens...

Missing you so much, Simba...

Special hugs to you, Bauz!

Es ist ein Mädchen !!! - It's a girl !!! - C'est une fille!!! - Una filletta italiana...Dea

Hintergrund...
Ein Artikel mit Konsequenzen...., da er in niederländisch ist, hier einige Auszüge auf Deutsch...

Toter Swimmer ein Schlag gegen die Zucht von Eisbären
Rotterdam. Marcel Potters

Der Tod des kleinen Eisbären Swimmer trifft nicht nur Ouwehands Tierpark in Rhenen schwer, sondern auch das Eisbärenzuchtprogramm in Europa. Es sind in den europäischen Zoos in diesem Winter nur vier Exemplare geboren worden, einschließlich der Zwillinge, die in Rhenen zur Welt kamen. "Es ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, mit diesen Tieren zu züchten", sagt Eisbärenpfleger Martin van Wees vom Tiergarten Blijdorp. Mit dem Ausfall von Swimmer sind es nur noch drei. Der Eisbär ist weltweit stark gefährdet. Prognosen gehen davon aus, daß dieses Polartier um das Jahr 2100 herum infolge der Erderwärmung größtenteils von der Erde verschwunden sein wird. Auch deswegen bemühen sich die Zoos darum, für Nachwuchs zu sorgen. "Es gibt eine große Nachfrage nach Eisbären", erklärt Van Wees. "Zur Zeit werden in Europa 17 Tiere gesucht. Sollte es falsch laufen, dann haben wir in jedem Fall eine Reservepopulation." In europäischen Zoos befinden sich zur Zeit 87 Eisbären - 42 Männchen und 45 Weibchen. Auch in Amerika und Asien will es nicht vorankommen mit der Zucht. "Dort gab es überhaupt keinen Nachwuchs." Der Tiergarten Blijdorp hofft selbst darauf, noch in diesem Jahr Eisbärennachwuchs zu kriegen. Der Wiener Eisbärenmann Eric und das Weibchen Tania, die jüngst zueinander gelassen wurden, sollen dafür sorgen. "Es müssen in jedem Fall genügend Eisbären geboren werden, um den Ausfall älterer Tiere zu ersetzen."

Die Frage war nun: Wo ist das 4. Baby??? Abgesehen davon wurden die japanischen Zwillinge einfach übersehen...Denn wer die K-Files aufmerksam verfolgt, dem dürften letzte Woche die Fotos von den entzückenden Zwillingen aus Sapporo nicht entgangen sein...

Eine aufreibende Suche im Internet begann und hier ist das Ergebnis....die kleine Dea aus dem Zoosafari Park Fasano in Italien....
This Dutch article made us ask where is the fourth cub born during this winter...? We know about the Aalborg baby, we know about Walker and Swimmer who died so tragically but a fourth cub...? So behind the curtains, an attritional search started in several corners of the world, from Düren came the first information...There is a girl called Dea...And some hours later Martina from Germany found the photos....By the way, something in the article was not correct. It was stated that neither in the US nor in Asia cubs were born. But who carefully follows the news in the K-Files will know that there are cute twins of yet undetermined sex born in Sapporo who had just been presented to the public a couple of days after the first public appearance of Swimmer and Walker...

So here she comes... the little bear goddess - DEA....
Hier ist sie nun...die kleine Bäringöttin DEA...
Ist sie nicht einfach bezaubernd? -
Isn't she just lovely?
Hier mit ihrer 13 jährigen Mama Marissa, ursprünglich wohl aus Schweden....-

Here with her mother Merissa, a 13 year old polar bear who came originally from Sweden to Fasano....

Hier der Originaltext, der unter den Fotos zu finden war...-
Here the original text which can be found below the photos...

L'orsetto, nato a fine novembre, è il terzo venuto alla luce nella struttura sulle colline fasanesi, ha due sorelle maggiori, Noel e Snowny, nate nel 2005 e nel 2008, oggi ospiti degli zoo di Berlino e Copenhagen. La mamma è Marissa, 13 anni, quattrocento chili di peso, e il papà è Felix, 14 anni, oltre seicento di stazza. Dopo l’inverno trascorso in stato semiletargico al riparo di una sorta di igloo imbottito di paglia, mamma e cucciolo sono usciti nel recinto a godersi i primi tepori primaverili. E finalmente esperti e veterinari hanno potuto stabilire il sesso del piccolo. E' ancora una femminuccia, ed è stata chiamata Dea. Pesa intorno ai venti chili e ciuccia ancora il latte materno. Mamma e cucciola sono tenute separate da papà Felix che, come tutti i maschi di orso polare, potrebbe ingelosirsi e dare segni di aggressività verso la piccola. Fra qualche mese, dopo lo svezzamento, la famigliola sarà riunita. Hier eine dt. Übersetzung

Der Bär, geboren Ende November, ist der dritte Eisbärennachwuchs, der das Licht der Welt in den Hügeln Fasanesi erblickte, zwei Schwestern, Noel und Snowy geboren in den Jahren 2005 und 2008 (??), leben heute in den Zoos von Berlin (??) und Kopenhagen (??). Die Mutter ist Marissa, 13 Jahre alt und hat ein Gewicht von vierhundert Pfund, Vater ist der 14jährige Felix, der mehr als 600 Pfund wiegt. Nachdem das Kleine den Winter in der geschützten mit Stroh ausgelegten Höhle mit der Mutter verbracht hat, genießen Mutter und ihr Nachwuchs nun die erste Wärme des Frühlings. Und schließlich waren Experten und Tierärzte auch in der Lage das Geschlecht des Kindes zu bestimmen. Ein Mädchen und es heißt nun Dea. Noch wird sie von der Mama gesäugt und wie alle Eisbären vom Vater getrennt gehalten. ....

This little beauty, born in November and presented now to the public, lives in Italy, in a park called Zoo Safari Park Fasano. It's the third time that polar bear offspring was produced here, 2 sisters Noel (2005) and Snowy (2008??) are living today in Berlin (????) and Copenhagen (??) . Marissa, the mom of the little one, is 13 years old and weighs some 400 pounds, father Felix (from Germany)weighs some 600 pounds. The vets were able now to determine the sex of the little one, a girl! Her name is Dea....

So , wer und wo sind also Noel und Snowy....? -
So who and where are Noel and Snowy...?

...Das verrät der Aussenposten sobald wir hinter all die widersprüchlichen Zahlen- und Geschlechtsangaben gestiegen sind...

...This we will tell you as soon as we have understood to look behind all the contradictory figures and gender indications...


Photo credits: Romaniello, there is also a video of Dea...

Der Aussenposten dankt speziell den Rechercheuren aus NRW... Gerhard, dem Mann aus Düren, der eigentlich was zu Elefanten wissen wollte und dem auf einmal die kleine Dea vor die Füße fiel, UlliJ, die mich an diesem Fall hat teilhaben lassen und die selbst kräftig gesucht hat und Martina (nrw), die die Fotos im Netz fand...Ohne euch hätte der Aussenposten Dea wohl nicht so schnell gefunden...

Sommerzeit....Summertime in Bearlin...

Still tired...one hour can make a difference...

Photo credits: Idefix

Argentina - Between Tango and The Color Purple

Ja, ja. Schon wieder im Flieger...und schon wieder ab in ein neues Land...Als Kosmopoliten haben wir ja durchaus einen Ruf zu verteidigen...Heute führt uns unsere Reise nach Südamerika, genauer, nach Argentinien, das Land der Latin Lover... Ich bin selbst ein wenig gespannt, wie da wohl die Mädels sind...?

I know, I know! You must think that we are a bit crazy, again another country, so what? Polar bears are just cosmopolitans...and we proove it! Today I invite you to South America, to Argentina - the land of the latin lovers ...Me too, I'm excited, how will be the girls over there...? So, let's have a look.

Sie möchten eher wissen ob die Eisbären in Argentinien Tango tanzen? Um ehrlich zu sein, ich habe keine Ahnung. Traut man dem Foto oben, könnte man es fast annehmen, das habe ich noch auf den letzten Drücker vor meinem Abflug im Internet gefunden, zusammen mit einem anderen Bild (2), wo man offensichtlich mehr Eisbären drauf sieht, als wie Argentinien tatsächlich beheimatet.

Whether the polar bears in Argentina dance the tango you want to know? To be honest , I have no clue at all. Taking the photo I just found on the net last minute before my departure (see above pic), you could just think so, I found it together with another one (2) showing lots of other polar bears, obviously much more than Argentina accomodates actually...Nun also zu den echten Eisbären. Dieses Paar wurde mir als das ganz besonders entzückendes Paar der Hauptstadt Buenos Aires vorgestellt...Aber wie man sehen kann, keine Spur von leidenschaftlichem Tangotanz...

Let's see the real ones. This couple has been presented to me as the particularly cute couple of the capital in Buenos Aires...but as you see , no trace of passionate tango dancing..."Nein wirklich? Wieso denkt jeder, dass wir hier nichts anderes zu tun haben als ständig Tango zu tanzen???" Ja, wo er Recht hat, hat er Recht.War ja auch nur eine Frage und nicht bös gemeint...

"No really, why does everybody think that we have to be into tango...???"Right you are..., it was just a question, no offense meant... Also, was jetzt? Kein Tango in Buenos Aires...jedoch kein Grund gleich aufzugeben wie der Herr links im Bild meint, der sich dann doch immerhin zu einigen gewagten Schrittkombinationen aufraffen konnte... Er rät die Reise fortzusetzen nach Mendoza, ungefähr 1100 km von der Hauptstadt entfernt...
Warum bin ich nicht selbst drauf gekommen? Klar, die Bären in Mendoza! War da nicht 2003 etwas, das Tausende von Besucher anzog. Könnte Tango gewesen sein, irgendwie logisch. Also auf nach Mendoza.

So what now? No tango in Buenos Aires...but no reason to give up on our little research. That's what the well-built mister says too who brought himself at least to some bold step combinations...He recommends a visit to Mendoza, a town 1100 km from the capital...
Maybe the bears in Mendoza...!!! Wasn't there something in July 2003 which attracted thousands of visitors....? Could have been tango, couldn't it? So, it's Mendoza...

Oh, diese Haltung kommt mir irgendwie vertraut vor... Und " Nein, mein Lieber, da liegst du völlig daneben... 2003 das war wegen Pelusa. Sie war damals 23 oder auch 14 wie die Presse schrieb, verrückte Sache diese Zahlen. Mach deine Hausaufgaben und dann findest du heraus, dass sie damals wirklich 23 gewesen sein muss, oder eher 22, denn es passierte ja im Sommer, Pelusa muss eines der 10 Nanuk-Kinder aus Karlsruhe gewesen sein, von denen 1981 zwei nach Mendoza kamen. Ob ich der 2. Karlsruher war? Irgendwie glaube ich nicht, denn würden sie mich wirklich mit meiner Schwester zusammngelassen haben? Außerdem in meinem Fall gab die Presse ausnahmslos 16 als Alter an, ohne Widersprüche, also bin ich erst heute 21... Himmel, wie die Zeit vergeht. Ach so, ich bin Arturo, wer sonst...? Und nur nebenher, die Geschichte hatte rein gar nichts mit Tango zu tun...-
Ooops..., see the composure of the bear? Somehow it looks familiar... And "No, dear, you are completely mistaken...This was because of Pelusa, she was either 23 or 14 than as stated in the news, strange things these figures...But do your homework and then you find out that she must have really been 23 at that time or better 22 as it happened in summer, she must have been one of the 10 Nanuk-Karlsruhe- kids, two of them were sent 1981 from Germany to Mendoza. If I am the second one from Karlsruhe, you want to know???No , I don't think so as they wouldn't have put me together with my sister, and my age was stated 16 then, in my case the press was not contradictory, 16 they wrote, that makes me 21 today...Time goes by quickly. My name...? Arturo, what else...? And just for the records, it had absolutely nothing to do with tango, believe me, who else knows better... "Ok, so let's see Pelusa...Is that her???? Hmm, there she looks young .......and very purple here!!!

Polar Bear Turns Purple After Medication
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina- Paint the polar bear purple and the crowds will come.

That seems to be the lesson a zoo in Mendoza has learned, after its 23-year-old bear Pelusa was sprayed with an antiseptic spray that turned her normally white fur a dark shade of violet.

The unusual color — a temporary side effect of the treatment for dermatitis — has turned the aging bear into a minor celebrity in Argentina and prompted thousands of schoolchildren and tourists to make their way to the Jardin Zoologico de Mendoza in the western city beneath the snow-capped Andes.

"We never thought she would get all the attention she's now receiving," veterinarian Alberto Duarte told The Associated Press when reached by telephone in Mendoza, 640 miles west of Buenos Aires. "We've had calls from Spain and e-mails from around the world asking about the bear."

The newspaper Los Andes, of Mendoza, reported that Pelusa's new look has turned her into the zoo's most popular attraction, surpassing giraffes Tommy and Belen.

The spray applied to Pelusa is similar to one used by pediatricians to treat children's scraped knees or lab technicians to stain micro-organisms for examination under microscopes.

Pelusa, a 395-pound bear has been temporarily placed in a cage because of the treatment, and is separated from her mate, Arturo. She is also kept back a distance from the public.

The separation, Duarte said, was needed to keep Pelusa from taking her regular plunge into an icy pool of water at the polar bear compound. That would have washed away the medicine prematurely, he said.

The isolation has not seemed to bother Pelusa but it has left Arturo, a 16-year-old male almost double the weight of his mate, a bit grumpy, Duarte said.

After all, the two — who have been together for years — have been kept apart for 20 days.

"The only one a bit anxious is Arturo, but they'll be back together soon," Duarte said. "Pelusa's condition is improving and in one more week we will stop with the antiseptic and she'll again be able to take her normal baths."

He added that once Pelusa begins to swim again, "she will lose her violet color" quickly.

Until then, though, she'll have to endure the crowds peering into her pen and possibly even the occasional paparazzi looking to snap a shot or two.

Eisbär in Lila

24.07.2003 - 07:40

Buenos Aires (rpo). Eine Eisbärdame sorgt derzeit für Besucherstürme im Zoo der argentinischen Stadt Mendoza. Kein Wunder, schließlich sieht sie momentan aus wie eine Verwandte der lila Kuh.

Die Besuchermenge drängt sich vor dem Käfig von "Pelusa", in dem die 180 Kilogramm schwere Polar-Dame vorübergehend ausharren muss. Käfig und der lila gefärbte Pelz sind die Folgen einer Dermatitis-Behandlung, die "Pelusa" über sich ergehen lassen muss.

Seitdem sind mehrere tausend Schulkinder und Touristen in den Jardin Zoologico de Mendoza gepilgert. Wegen der Behandlung muss der Eisbär auf das geliebte Bad im Pool verzichten - das würde nicht nur den Pelz wieder weiß waschen, sondern auch das aufgesprühte Mittel entfernen.

Weniger schwer fällt der Eisbär-Lady die Trennung von ihrem männlichen Gefährten, wie Tierarzt Alberto Duarte beobachtet hat. Der doppelt so schwere "Arturo" hingegen macht seit Beginn der Trennung vor 20 Tagen einen ungewohnt mürrischen Eindruck.

In der Eisbären-Welt von Mendoza soll demnächst wieder Normalität einkehren. "Pelusas Zustand bessert sich, und in einer Woche werden wir die antiseptische Behandlung einstellen", erwartet Duarte. Dann darf "Pelusa" wieder ins Wasser und "Arturo" mit ihrer vertrauten Pelzfarbe erfreuen.

Quintessenz - in Argentinien tanzt zwar kein Bär Tango, und der Latin Lover scheint sich heutzutage eher durch seine Müdigkeit auszuzeichnen, die Mädels sind eher älteres Semester und scheinen ausnahmslos vergeben zu sein, aber sie haben Farbgefühl...!!! Lila-war das nicht auch die Farbe der Hexen...? Las brujas bailan en la noche, vielleicht tanzen die ja Tango...und hatten hier in Bärlin ihre Finger mit im Spiel... -

Conclusion:If you only look for tango dancing polar bears and Latin Lovers in Argentina, then you might get disappointed (no tango and latin lover always tired), if you are looking for nice polar bear gals, you might get disappointed too as they seem to be already older and without exception living in long time partnerships but surely with a sense for colours...!!! Purple, wasn't that the colour of the witches...?Las brujas bailan en la noche, maybe they do the tango and had played some magic tricks here in Bearlin too...

Im letzteren Fall war zumindest 100% kein Gentian Violet mit im Spiel...))-
Concerning the last case, 100% no Gentian Violet involved...))

This posting is dedicated to Paola, a friend from Argentina who is now doomed to find out more about the 4 bears...at least the names of the two in Buenos Aires...))


Photo credits: Buenos Aires polar bears (1,2/25.03.09 & 3, 4),Mendoza bears (6,7/June 2008), Paola, Travelpod (8/Pelusa?2006), Purple Pelusa behind bars (Los Andes/Walter Moreno & Reuters), Purple Pelusa without bars, ChristinaM (PurpleKnut & PurpleGirl)

Artikel über Pelusas Verwandlung auf Deutsch hier
Article about Purple Pelusa in English here (there is a lot more on the net, jeez...!!!)
Funny: Read blog which published the message of purple Pelusa first....
And here something concerning the conditions for the polar bears in Mendoza..., and another one

Note: I just found out that Knut Home 2 also had an article featuring hairs of polar bears and mentioning Pelusa...If I had read that before I could have spared myself some digging...By the way, regards to Hupsi...!

Earth Hour in Knut's Aussenposten and hopefully everywhere!!!

Join in...60 EARTH HOURS.....and here a WWF link where you can find lots of information about polar bears... The photo above forms part of an animation (page 8) of fact sheets concerning endangered species, if you want to know more, read the 10 case studies- starting with Polar bears and ending with the Albatross....

And here a quote, I just found that in a WWF Status report of 1999...

"... Polar bears face a new threat from mankind in the form of chemical and radioactive pollution and the effects of global warming. Their Arctic environment is widely contaminated by a number of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlordanes. In 1997, Norwegian scientists found several hermaphrodite polar bear cubs with high levels of PCBs in their systems. Radioactive contamination is of potential concern in the Russian Arctic (Pearce 1998): reactors discarded from nuclear submarines, as well as dumping of nuclear waste (which has also occurred in Alaska) is "a time bomb", according to some experts. ..." (highlighted by me).


SO JOIN IN AND VOTE EARTH...

YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE
This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.
For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.
This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you are from, but instead, what planet you are from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

A Belated Farewell for the Lady of the White ones'

Sad news come often unexpected and sometimes they travel slowly. In this case it was unexpected as I did not know about her being ill. She had a tumor and her life had to be ended last Saturday...She was the Lady of the White Ones', the only female in the pack who had everything under control... Farewell and R.I.P. , you will be missed too...!

Photo credits: Nene

Vor 2 Jahren...Two years ago...Il y a 2 ans...

23.03.2007 ...It was a Friday....First public appearance of...A little polar bear in Bearlin...Together with a somehow untypical polar bear Mom...Same time in Rodrigues/Indian Ocean...
....a dog with red-brown fur waiting for some chicken bones...And two days later....Sunday then...

Knut is…when Papi Simba on 25th March shouted from the living-room, “You know, in Berlin they have now a little polar bear…” And Mami Simba thought “ Little polar bear, nice, so what…?? Haven‘t there been any other important news in the world ?”Knut is… how she walked next morning to her ex-(free) online-center, and how she googled then fully automatically, means without any thinking, polar bear cub and Zoo Berlin even before she checked her e-mails (!!!)….and that she detected then that the Internet had already listed several thousand entries and that she found out the name, …just Knut, simply Knut…Knut is…how she watched then a discovered video time and time again, that she asked the cleaning and security staff to join her, that she virtually forced them to watch it too, not to mention all the other people waiting for the PC in the queue…just to exceed shamelessly the 10 minutes limit and also to avoid leaving that place completely tear-stained as this tiny tot, hold by his eminently special mommy was just too much for her simple knitted island nature…Knut is…that consecutively one could find her nearly every day 8 o‘clock sharp, before she continued then her odyssee to the next computers, in the beginning with 3 Floppys in her bag, shortly later with at least 10 …and yes, after not even one week all the tourists knew too that she was queuing again for Knut …at home then downloading everything on the homey PC with a HD indicating each week a memory decrease of at least 2% …

And today...
Knut is...increase of disk space, pen drive instead of floppys, ADSL instead of a dial up connection, running 2 blogs and 3 mail accounts...and being completely hooked even after 2 years...so it got even worse!

Photo credits: dpa (1,2), A.Huss (3,9), Simba(4), Hartmuth (5,6,7), Idefix (9)

R.I.P. Swimmer - Kleines Frollein, ganz groß!

Swimmer, yesterday in Dierenpark Ouwenhands/Rhenen in Holland...impressed visitors with her energy and agility...Yes, Swimmer was a she, and not a boy, as I had still assumed until this morning...And she could already swim...Remember Knut, who took in comparison ages...He needed 5 months for what little Swimmer just needed 3! (Please don't get me wrong, I speakabout swimming and not about dying).

So she played and swam with her brother, always under the watchful eyes of her mother Huggies who never moved too far from her...taking care of Swimmer, placing her whereever it seemed less dangerous...carrying her in her muzzle whenever she anticipated it as necessary... They were in the water together, Huggies producing big waves from time to time but giving both babes a ride on the back when she thought it was time for a break...But then, from one second to another they dived and Swimmer must have swallowed some water, didn't come up . Huggies noticed immediately that something was wrong and took her out...But for little Swimmer nothing more could be done. The reactions of Huggies and Walker must have been very hard to observe, I will spare you the details here because it will make you cry. At least I think so as it made me cry.

I want to thank Frau Schnatterliese for sending me these photos of yesterday which makes it possible for me to say Farewell to Swimmer in a different way and thanks to her report I have an idea what happened. And so I know now that Swimmer was the one with the power of two and being so tiny was at least during all activities not a handicap as so many thought, me included. An impressive fighter who even dared to give brother Walker a little slap when he finally got the courage to follow her and Huggies into the water...

It is very difficult to accept the rules of life and death, the waste when someone has to leave way too early, this concerns humans as it concerns the animals we have grown fond of, something which can happen in a spit of a second by a photo or by a report of just one day, which was certainly supposed not to be the last visit...

Farewell, kleines großes Frollein Swimmer!
R.I.P.

Photo credits: Frau Schnatterliese
See Frau Schnatterliese's personal account of what happened yesterday, here in German.

For those who want to read the English translation, you will find it here, just click on Kommentare , it's in the first comment.
Again, thank you Liesel for sharing, hope you don't mind some mistakes as I did it fast...

Sechs Monate - ein halbes Jahr...

Sechs Monate Vermissen - Six months of missing...

Due to the latest topics again photos of Thomas Dörflein with the wolves...

I just saw that today ChristinaM posted a beautiful video about the feeding of the white wolves...don't miss it, either you click on the photo in the right column to honor Mr.Dörflein or visit directly ChristinaM's beautiful blog. Thank you ChristinaM for sharing and reviving these intense moments.

Photo credits: ChristinaM (1,3), Frau Schnatterliese (2)