COLUMBUS – The three polar bear cubs born at the Columbus Zoo in November now have names: Amelia Gray and twins Neva and Nuniq.
“Amelia Gray” (right) was the top choice in a naming contest, getting more than half of the 45,998 votes from 69 countries between April 19 and May 2. “Denali,” “Vieta” and “Elisapee” were the othger choices.
The name Amelia means “defender,” which zoo officials say represents that she is a conservation protector for her species. She also has a unique, distinct patch of gray fur on the left side of her neck.
Neva and her twin brother Nuniq (pictured, above) were named as part of an employee initiative that raises funds for conservation. Zoo officials say two employees from the zoo’s North America team were awarded the opportunity to name the twins, resulting in several thousand dollars raised to benefit wildlife around the world.
“Neva” means “white snow” and is also a river in Russia and “Nuniq” (pronounced NEW-nick) is a derivative of Nanuq father of all three cubs who was euthanized in April after a medical exam determined that his recent declining health was the result of liver cancer.
First-time mother Anana gave birth to her Amelia Gray on Nov. 8. At 6 months old, Amelia weighs 104 pounds.
Anana’s own twin, Aurora, gave birth to her twins on Nov. 14. Neva currently weighs 92 pounds while her brother weighs 113 pounds.
After successfully completing “swim lessons,” the cubs have become acclimated to the outdoor habitat at the zoo’s Polar Frontier exhibit but will not be on view together as female polar bears typically raise their young independently. Public viewing schedules are determined by the bears and are not always known by the staff in advance, zoo officials said.