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Olaf, sire of famous polar bear cubs, dies

Rocky Mountain News

Published May 5, 2008 at 1:40 p.m.
Updated May 5, 2008 at 5:05 p.m.

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In this April, 2003 file photo, Denver Zoo's Olaf enjoys the cool water in the swimming area of the polar bear exhibit.

Photo by Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky

In this April, 2003 file photo, Denver Zoo's Olaf enjoys the cool water in the swimming area of the polar bear exhibit.

Klondike and Snow in 1997.

Photo by Rocky Mountain News

Klondike and Snow in 1997.

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Olaf, the polar bear father of Klondike and Snow, died over the weekend, the Denver Zoo announced today.

Olaf was 22 years old. He came to Denver Zoo in 1987 as 1 1/2-year-old cub. In November 1995, he fathered Klondike and Snow, who soon became the darlings of Denver after they were rejected by their mother Ulu and raised by humans.

At the age of 1, both were given to the Sea World Adventure Park in Orlando, Fla.

Olaf also fathered Ulaq and Berit at the Denver Zoo.

"This is a very sad loss for Denver Zoo and our community," said Zoo president Craig Piper.

Olaf had liver cancer. He was known at the zoo for meticulously removing the fish heads before he ate them.

Comments

  • May 5, 2008

    2:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    RockLobster writes:

    I smell something fishy here. Somebody call PETA!

  • May 5, 2008

    2:30 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    llcj writes:

    You know, I'd rather read about something like this than hearing of a senior citizen being carjacked, or a parent killing their child. Once in a while, a fluff filler story is better reading than all the other depressing crap going on. That's just me.

  • May 5, 2008

    2:49 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    CharR writes:

    I find it interesting that a story about death is considered by some as "filler." The Denver Zoo announced it. For people who work daily with the animals, the loss is great to them.

  • May 5, 2008

    3:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Golden writes:

    It's sad - my kids love to visit the zoo and the polar bears are alway on the top of the list of animals to see.

  • May 5, 2008

    3:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    NativeDenver writes:

    For some people fluff is "anything I'm not personally interested in." In which case, I hereby declare all Broncos news to be fluff and demand that the RMN stop reporting it and replace it with what I want to read. After all, it's all about MEEEEEE!

    Sorry to hear about Olaf, but he was probably in a lot of pain, so it's good that they euthanized him and ended his suffering.

  • May 5, 2008

    4:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jax writes:

    Why does one have to do with another...stories are printed to read. If you don't like, don't read it.

    I personally think it's sad that Olaf is gone - rest in peace big guy. Consequently I'm also a proud member of the "insane animal lovers"! I guess I didn't realize that you couldn't feel bad for both man and animal. Who knew?

  • May 5, 2008

    4:43 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    EP writes:

    I agree, FloydHill. I find it ridiculous that the zoo uses silly marketing schemes duping people into thinking that they're "Helping the animals" by going to the zoo. Yup, I too am an animal lover, which I don't believe speaks to my sanity.

  • May 5, 2008

    5:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheDenverB writes:

    i was waiting for our daily "hey guys, look at me, i'm an athiest!" comment from freethought!

  • May 5, 2008

    7:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    glowrock writes:

    FloydHill, can't you stop your tripe for even one reply? Usual incompetance? No, the poor polar bear had liver cancer! Nothing the zoo could have done about it. Besides, how many incompetent zoos end up having multiple polar bear cubs over the years? Obviously the animals are at ease in their exhibit and enclosures, otherwise they wouldn't, uhh, be screwing around!

    Sad places? Animal jails? Ignorant people? How cynical can you possibly be? Look, I'm not saying zoos are perfect, but at least animals at the zoo have plenty of food, plenty of shelter, don't have to worry about predators, etc... etc... Not all zoo exhibits and enclosures are perfect, many are far from perfect, but they're all trying to improve conditions as much as possible for their animals.

  • May 5, 2008

    10:42 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    iggypuppet writes:

    Oh my gosh! Olaf is dead? Call 9News! Call Channel 4! Maybe they will fly in Klondike and Snow for the funeral. Maybe Paula Woodward will be a pallbearer!

    I mourn the death of Olaf as I do the death of any living creature. He fathered a couple of cute polar bears (actually 4 of them, but only 2 of them provoke wretching). The ridiculous frenzy that the Denver media created over Klondike and Snow is one of the most embarrassing things I have ever witnessed from Denver media (and there have been many of them to choose from). They even brought King Soopers into the scam... Klondike and Snow dolls in grocery stores. Give me a break.

    Rest in peace, Olaf. You were scheduled to die just as any other animal in captivity for its lifetime. Maybe you would have lived longer in the wild, maybe not... but in the wild you never would have had the attention that you had because of your offspring.

    Speaking of Paula Woodward... is that she or Joan Rivers on that Geiko commercial? Is it me or does plastic surgery make all aging TV personalities (not journalists) look the same?

    Olaf died proud... he never met the plastic surgeon that the TV stations that made such a silly fuss over a couple of zoo animals met.

    Warm and fuzzy makes us feel better in the America that has been taken down the tubes the past 7 years... but warm and fuzzy never paid the rent... except for Olaf.