Zoo Hannover: It's A Girl!

© Erlebni-Zoo Hannover, Hollemann

At the initial veterinary examination, the now three-month-old little bear already showed proper claws and was happy to have her teeth put in. Zoo vets Dr. Viktor Molnár and Dr. Katja von Dörnberg had a hard job vaccinating the cub and checking her teeth and navel. 

For twelve weeks, the Zoo team had observed polar bear Milana and her offspring through the cameras installed in the den, noting every change and developmental advance from the first opening of the eyes to the initially shaky, then increasingly safe walking attempts. However, the sex could not be determined by the cameras. This secret could finally be revealed during the first visit to the vet. 

With her lively young, polar bear mother Milana hardly has a minute of peace and quiet left. When the cub is awake, she crawls around on top of her mother, fights with her paws and even bites her ears. Milana takes it all calmly. Only when the cubs curiously approach the barrier in front of the den, she resolutely pulls her back again. Accordingly, all zoo visitors (and the zoo team) have to be patient: Only when the young bear can follow her mother safely, will they leave the den and can be seen on the outdoor enclosure. At the moment the zoo is expecting the first excursions at the end of March.