Twin Polar Bear Cubs Born at the Detroit Zoo
Ohhhhhh baby! It's double the cuteness at the Detroit Zoo.
The zoo announced two polar bear cubs were born at the zoo on November 17, 2020, making it the first polar bears to be born and successfully raised at the facility since 2004, according to a zoo press release.
The cubs were born to proud parents 8-year-old mother Suka, and 16-year-old father, Nuka As of now the cubs have not been named. Suka had given birth before to cubs in 2018 and 2019, but none of her young survived beyond a few days.
The milestone birthing event took place in a specially-designed, private maternity den away from the other bears. The den is equipped with infrared video cameras, so the zoo's staff could monitor the mother and the cubs without any disturbances.
The big arrival hasn't been without a few scares for the Detroit Zoo staff. One cub, a girl, started showing some signs of distress on November 19th and was removed from the den for special care. Currently at the Detroit Zoo’s Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex, the cub continues to receive round the clock care and is being bottle fed.
According to the press release, the young cub is gaining weight and improving. She has graduated from an incubator to a “playpen”. Eventually the cub will go back to live in the Arctic Ring of Life habitat. It is not yet known if she can be reunited with her mother and sibling, but eventually she will live with other bears.
The other cub, on the other hand, is being cared for by Suka who, the zoo says, is being a “very attentive” mom and is nursing, grooming, and snuggling her just like a goo mama should.
Currently the new additions to the zoo are being kept in private areas and not available for viewing just yet. The Detroit Zoo promises to keep everyone updated on their progress via social media and their website.
Check out more of the cuteness below.
New Polar Bear Cubs at the Detroit Zoo