St. Louis families have a wonderful new reason to visit Forest Park this fall: the Saint Louis Zoo announced on October 15 that a 5-year-old female polar bear named Laerke — pronounced LAIR-keh — is expected to arrive this fall from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington.
Laerke will join Kallu, the Zoo’s almost-4-year-old male polar bear, at McDonnell Polar Bear Point. Kallu, who arrived in March 2025, now weighs more than 920 pounds, and his care team describes him as smart, calm, curious and playful — a perfect welcome committee for a new neighbor. The two bears are being paired on a breeding recommendation, with the happy hope of cubs someday.
Laerke’s own story makes her easy to root for. Born at the Detroit Zoo in November 2020, she needed intensive hands-on care after a medical emergency as a tiny cub and was hand-reared by her keepers. She later moved to Tacoma with her twin sister, Astra, and her Saint Louis care team is already learning her favorite foods and routines from her Tacoma keepers to make her move smooth and comfortable.
After a quarantine and acclimation period, Laerke is expected to make her public debut at Polar Bear Point this fall or winter, although introductions with Kallu will take time and families may not see the pair together until early next year. Her arrival also supports the work of the Polar Bear Population Alliance and the Zoo’s own Center for Polar Bear Conservation, launched in 2024.
The Saint Louis Zoo, at 1 Government Drive in Forest Park, is one of the country’s great free zoos — so start planning that family trip to say hello.
Photo: Katie G. Cotterill / Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
