COLUMBUS – What’s cuter than a polar bear cub?
Two polar bear cubs, of course.
A day after the cub born to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Anana in November, the twins born to her twin sister, Aurora (above), at the same time made their public debut at the zoo’s Polar Frontier exhibit on Thursday.
SEE: Gallery of photos of polar bear moms and babies
“The births are very special as the cubs are the only three polar bears born in a North American zoological facility in 2016,” zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf said. “These cubs are a reminder to all of us that the actions we take matter. They matter to our world, and they matter to the future of this species.”
The twin cubs, a male and female, were born on Nov. 14, six days after Anana’s and, at five months old all three cubs now weigh approximately 75 pounds, according to zoo officials.
Staff at the Zoo and The Wilds will name Aurora’s twins through an employee initiative that raises funds for conservation.
The names of all three cubs will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 14, 2017.
The three cubs will not be on view together as female polar bears typically raise their young independently so zoo officials say public viewing schedules “are determined by the bears and are not known by zoo staff much in advance.”