22.6.2020 by Molly Merrow
It was Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A., November 28, when a little boy cub was born to Aurora in the Columbus Zoo. She is an experienced mother, having given birth to Nora in 2015, and then twins Nuniq and Neva in 2016. Kulu’s father is Lee, who had never fathered a cub before.
Papa Lee
Kulu’s name was chosen by fans voting for one of three names, and the winning name was announced on April 22, Earth Day. He had weighed about a pound at birth, but by April 22, he was up to 85 pounds.
He is the only polar bear cub in a zoo in the Western Hemisphere this season, so he’s really special. The Columbus Zoo is only two hours drive from my house, so as soon as I could, I went to visit.
Due to the pandemic, the Columbus Zoo had closed down in mid-March. Kulu made his debut into the big yard with no fans to watch. The zoo finally opened up on June 12, with a limited number of guests and timed entries.
A week after the opening, on June 19, I was standing in front of the big grassy meadow where Kulu was playing with his mother.
Kulu is a really chunky little cub.already up to 180 pounds (82 kg) at age 6 1/2 months.
He is a furry ball of energy, constantly playing with his many toys, sometimes on land, but usually in the water.
His mother is trying to teach him how to catch the live trout in the big diving pool. He jumps in and tries, but so far hasn’t caught any.
During my visit, Aurora spent a lot of time sleeping on the center rock pillar (with one eye open) while Kulu ran about, playing independently.
His favorite toy is a red plastic carton, just his size. He would stop every once in awhile to watch his mother, just to make sure she was still nearby.
At snack time, the keepers threw some romaine lettuce into the pool, one of Aurora’s favorites, just like her Grandma Arki. Kulu had to sample some too and he liked it.
Aurora and Kulu have the big yard on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Her twin sister Anana and Kulu’s father Lee have the big yard on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. There is a big open yard with a pool in the non-viewable area for the alternate bear group.
Kulu probably takes after his grandfather Marty, who is a really big bear. He also is a single cub, and doesn’t have to share his mother’s milk with a sibling, so he will just keep growing, and before long, will be bigger than his mom.
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