
14.1.2025 – Source: Karlsruhe Zoo, Photos and video by Timo Deible
About two months after the birth of the polar bear, Karlsruhe Zoo has published the first photos and a video of the offspring. The little polar bear is seen pawing through the straw in the outdoor area of the birthing den – well protected by mum Nuka, who is also letting him suckle. The cub has developed splendidly, said zoo director Matthias Reinschmidt in a statement. ‘Now we are much more optimistic that it will make it.’ – You can see the video in the end of this article.
The zoo now wants to use the opportunity to draw attention to climate change. Polar bears are the ideal ambassadors for this. ‘We must do everything we can to stop climate change,’ appeals Reinschmidt. ‘So that this ice in the Arctic will still exist in a hundred years’ time, and with it the habitat of our polar bears.’
The zoo had been worried for a long time because Nuka did not go into the prepared indoor den for the birth, but gave birth to the cubs in a half-cave in the outdoor enclosure. According to reports, one of the cubs probably died in the first few days.
To protect Nuka and her cubs from possible disturbances, the zoo sealed off the enclosure. The polar bear might otherwise have eaten her cubs in such a situation. Before New Year’s Eve, the zoo had also appealed to people to refrain from using firecrackers and fireworks in the immediate vicinity.
Polar bear cub remains shielded
The zoo has announced that the area around the enclosure will remain cordoned off in the coming weeks. ‘We are giving the mother and cub the time they need,’ explained Director Reinschmidt. ‘In the wild, cubs only emerge from the snow and ice cave after three to four months. Our cub is also yet to leave the half-cave in the outdoor enclosure.’
A few days ago, the animal keepers started to go directly to the enclosure again and slowly feed the mother animal again. ‘But we are still keeping this contact to a minimum,’ said Reinschmidt. Nuka is very relaxed. During rearing, polar bear mothers can fast and draw on their reserves.
Because the staff do not get close to the polar bears, they do not yet know the sex of the cub, as spokesman Timo Deible said. An initial examination by the vet will be possible in a few weeks at the earliest. ‘Only then will there be a name.’
Birth is a rare stroke of luck
Father Kap has been living in a separate enclosure for months and can be seen by zoo visitors. As male polar bears also kill their own cubs, he remains separated from Nuka and her offspring. ‘Polar bears are solitary animals by nature, so this is not a problem,’ said Reinschmidt.
Kap (Photo by Rebecca Roth)
The zoo had repeatedly emphasised that the probability of survival was rather low. Polar bears have a very high cub mortality rate both in the wild and at the zoo, and not every litter makes it through. Even under optimal conditions, around 50 per cent of all polar bear cubs born in zoos die, according to earlier figures.
The Association of Zoological Gardens (VdZ) had described the birth of a polar bear at the zoo as a stroke of luck because it is rare. The last time a cub was born at Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg was in April 2023. In 2021, Rostock Zoo celebrated the birth of two of the endangered animals. According to the VdZ, 13 polar bear cubs have been born in nine zoos in Austria, Switzerland and Germany over the past ten years.
In Germany, ten zoos keep polar bears. In 2006, polar bear Knut became a public favourite when he was hand-reared in Berlin’s Zoological Garden. However, the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) no longer provides for humans to take polar bear cubs into their care and raise them.
Good genes
There are around 20,000 to 25,000 of these animals left in the wild worldwide. According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the polar bear is considered ‘endangered’, as Karlsruhe Zoo emphasised. ‘In the wild, the species is endangered by climate change and the resulting dwindling ice, but also by the increased extraction of oil and natural gas in the Arctic regions,’ it said.
Nuka was born at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in 2016. She came to Karlsruhe from Belgium in March last year as part of the EEP. Kap, who was born in Moscow in 2000, is considered to be one of the most genetically valuable polar bears in the breeding programme, according to the press release. He had previously only reproduced once in Hamburg. In April, he mated with Nuka.
Kap (Photo by Rebecca Roth)
‘In polar bears, fertilised eggs don’t implant straight away, a process known as dormancy occurs,’ explained the zoo. It is not until autumn that the fertilised egg nests in the uterus. The females are usually only pregnant for a little over two months before they give birth to one or two very underdeveloped cubs, which are about the size of guinea pigs.
Dear Mervi!
It really is a miracle that the little one has survived to this day!
Nuka, who became a mum for the first time, has obviously done a lot of things right and seems to be taking very good care of her cub. The little one makes a lively, almost cheeky impression. Great!
Hugs
Anke
Dear Mervi!
I am very happy that a cub survived. I keep my fingers cross for the mother and her baby.
Hugs
Ludmila
I visited Nuka in Aalborg from 2017 to 2019. She is very clever and determined like her parents Malik and Lars
💓😍👍
Endlich können wir Nuka zusammen mit ihrem Eisbärbaby sehen!!
Es ist so schön, dass die beiden das geschafft haben!!!
Nun heißt es alles GUTE für die Zukunft von Mutter und Kind, aber auch für den Vater Kap!!🐻❄️🐻❄️/🐻❄️✊🍀💝
Mein DANK geht an den Zoo Karlsruhe und das Tierpflegerteam der Eisbären, die durch ihr umsichtiges Handeln und Verhslten Nuka vermutlich ganz wesentlich bei der Aufzucht des Kleinen unterstützt haben.😊
Liebe Mervi,
Eine schöne Nachricht!
Trotz aller Widrigkeiten hat Nuka sich bestens gekümmert, Chapeau für die junge Mutter.
dear Mervi,
thank you for this good and wonderful news, the pictures are lovely, I wish the whole family best of luck
dear greetings
Filomena
Das sieht ja alles recht gut aus.
Weiter sind alle Daumen gedrückt!
Dear Mervi, these are wonderful news from Nuka and her baby. So cute, fingers are still crossed that the little one is growing up healthy.