Post by Admin Rose on Feb 4, 2012 19:25:09 GMT -4
baby polar bear which was rejected by his mother has gone on public display at Toronto Zoo for the first time.The four-month-old male cub is thriving despite his premature birth and the death of his two siblings. However, he can never be reintroduced to his mother - because of fears that she would try to kill him
The cub - which has yet to named, and is known to his handlers simply as 'Bear' - was one of a litter of three born on October 11, two months premature. His mother, 10-year-old Aurora, turned on the three cubs, and the other two died of their injuries, leaving the survivor to be brought up by zookeepers.
He weighed just 25 ounces at birth, and had to be fed by hand 11 times a day. 'Polar bears are born in an immature state,' the zoo's senior vet Graham Crashaw told the Toronto Sun. 'It is very hard to raise them by hand from such an early stage
The bear now weighs in at 37 pounds, and last month was released into an outdoor 'maternity unit'. Although he has been raised by human handlers, no one zookeeper is allowed to spend too much time with him. 'We want him to remember that he’s a bear and not a person,' Dr Crashaw told the Toronto Star.
Visitors appeared delighted by the zoo's new arrival, according to the Sun.
'I think he is very cute and I would like to pat him,' said eight-year-old Grace.
The next step in the bear's development will be finding him a name. The zoo is currently accepting suggestions on its website and Facebook page.
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