By Vladimir Brezina
This week’s Photo Challenge is Habit.
Gus the polar bear was one of the stars of Manhattan’s Central Park Zoo. New Yorkers took to him probably because, as a result of being cooped up in the equivalent of a tiny apartment, he was a creature of neurotic, not to say compulsive habits, such as obsessive swimming. But, like a true New Yorker, he managed to thrive on his neuroses—he outlived both his younger female companions, and finally died this past summer, aged 27 (which is quite old for a polar bear).
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
Sad but touching–why do we cage animals? At least some zoos give animals a large arena to roam that mimics their natural habitats. Animals adjust as people do.
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Unfortunately this is an old zoo with limited space. But given that, I think they have tried fairly successfully to give each animal adequate space, by limiting the number of animals kept in the zoo…
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Love him!!
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:-)
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Aw… poor guy. Maybe he is running free now?!
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Swimming more free than just doing endless laps, perhaps? :-)
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Yes, and hopping around eating good things on a giant, non-melting iceberg! ;-) Thanks for the photos, he had such a sweet face.
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Gus is gorgeous. He is as well to live out his days there now but I think the time is near that there will be no more zoos. It is most people`s only way to enjoy the animals but not the best life for them. It is good to know he has his space. Just a lovely man he is!
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Unfortunately he died already, this past summer.
I largely agree. Of course, there are quite a few species that have only survived in captivity—if they had been left entirely wild, they would now be extinct…
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I am sorry to have missed that in your post. I was reading but got distracted by his face.
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:-)
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Way cool shots, he’s soooooo cute! :-) Big loss to New Yorkers.
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Yes, many people felt that way. And apparently the Zoo is not eager to get another polar bear—maybe some seals would be nice in that pool instead… ;-)
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A New York polar bear! – the imagination boggles yet maybe it was his obsessive habits that kept him going.
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That’s my theory :-)
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Oh yes; I remember Gus. He fit in with us neurotic New Yorkers. He was kind of the Woody Allen of the zoo.
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That’s a good description :-) Unfortunately, I only saw him the one time when I took these photos, and I didn’t quite realize what a character he was…
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Not fair!! You have the terribly-cute factor working for you in these photos. Even though polar bears are not at all friendly and nice, they always appear to be so.
janet
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I wonder what he would have done if someone had tried to climb into his enclosure… ;-)
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Nothing the papers would like to report!
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A polar bear in New York…it almost feels like there’s a song in that :-)
Your shots are very cute, despite his neurotic tendencies!
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I think I took these photos after he had psychiatric treatment and was (largely) cured of his neurotic tendencies, as his obituary describes ;-)
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Loved the first- pious praying bear- picture! Awesome!
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He was quite a character, apparently :-)
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pious praying bear
Or at least damn good in pretending it
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I remember him.
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:-)
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Looks like he is thinking….
“And I don’t want to be bothered by you either. Don’t waste my time.”
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It does, doesn’t it? But by all accounts he was actually quite a show-off :-)
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Lovely photos, but aww, what a shame. Bless him :(
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Yes :-)
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Poor bear, captured and contained. Yet given what is happening to his natural habitat perhaps he was lucky to be the object of curious human attention rather than indifferent.
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He probably wouldn’t have lived anything like that long in the wild… but of course, living as long as possible may not be the only thing that is important…
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He’s magnificent. So sad he’s no longer with us.
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Yes, it is.
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What beautiful pictures!
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Thanks!!
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I like your interpretation and these beautiful close-ups, Vladimir!
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Thanks so much!! :-)
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Awww Gus! Great shots!!
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Sorry to have lost him….
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