The cubs of 2019

Malik takes care of her new cubs in Aalborg, Denmark, December 2019

It is almost the end of the 2019 polar bear birthing season. While there may be a secret cub or two out there, and births could still take place, I have put together a list of this year's new cubs, subject to update! Currently there are 10 cubs, and some potential mothers, such as Anana in Cincinnati, are still denned up. (See update below).

Most polar bear births take place during the last two weeks of November, and the first two week of December. There is the rare October birth, and it does happen, rarely in early January.

Aurora with her last cubs, Nuniq and Neva, 

Lee is a new father

(1) The USA has one birth to report, the offspring of Aurora and Lee in the Columbus Zoo on November 28. Aurora is the mother of Nora, Nuniq and Neva. Lee is a first time father.

(1) In Europe, twins were born in Vienna, Austria to Nora and Ranzo on November 20. One died right away, but the other is doing well. This is the first offspring for both Nora and Ranzo.

Milana

Sprinter looks down upon young Charlotte in Hannover

(1) Also on November 20, Milana gave birth to her first cub in Hannover, Germany. The father is Sprinter, also his first cub.

Freedom, with little Akiak and Sura in 2015

Wolodja

(2) Twins were born to Freedom on November 27 in Ouwehands, Rhenen in the Netherlands. Father is Wolodja, who is father of one year old Hertha in Tierpark Berlin. Freedom is mother to Sprinter (who just became a father in Hannover), to Sesi and Taiko in France, to Akiak in Rostock, and to Sura still in Ouwehands. Grandmother of the twins is Huggies, mother of Freedom! Father Wolodja did his job, and has already moved on to Rotterdam.

Malik with Augo in 2012

Malik and Nord in June 2019

(2) Triplets were born in Aalborg Denmark to Malik and Nord on December 4. One died the day after birth, but the other two are strong and noisy. You can watch them on the zoo's dencam. Malik is mother to the late Augo, and three year old twin sisters Nuka and Qilak, still in Aalborg. Nord is father to one year old Imaq with mother Lynn in Copenhagen, and another just born to Noel in Copenhagen. Nord has already moved to Skandanavisk Dyrepark. 

Click on this link to check in on the little family.

Aalborg Zoo polar bear dencam

Noel in June 2019

(1) Yes, another cub in Copenhagen, born on December 6. Noel finally had her first cub, with Nord as the father.

Valeska with Lili

Lloyd at Zoo Am Meer, the zoo by the sea

(2) The most recent birth was in Bremerhaven Germany, in Zoo Am Meer. Valeska and Lloyd became parents of twins. They are already parents of Lale and Lili, now in Emmen.

Newborn polar bear cubs face daunting odds. They are born so unfinished, and even in the safety and shelter of zoos, there is a 50 percent mortality rate.

In Skandanavisk Dyrepark in Denmark, young Nuno gave birth to twins, and they died soon after birth. The father was Ivan/Boris.

I have heard that Suka in Detroit gave birth to twins, but they did not survive. Father was Nuka.

Some potential moms are still denned up, and we could have further births, so I will update this story if it happens.  

UPDATE:

Another cub  has been born in Russia, sometime in December. The mother is Kolymana, who was found as a wild cub in 2012. The father is Lomonssow, one of Uslada's many cubs born in St. Peterburg. The parents already had one cub, a girl named Chaartschaanna, born in 2016, now living in St. Petersburg. The zoo is in Yakursk in the Republic of Sacha in Russia.

FURTHER UPDATE:

(3) - Between Christmas and New Year's Day, Flocke of Marineland on the French Riviera gave birth to triplets. As of a month later, all three cubs are doing well. Father Rasputin moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park on January 29, so Flocke can have peace and quiet to raise the cubs, and Raspi will have friends to play with, not the frustration of being near Flocke. This brings the number of European cubs born in 2019 to 12.

Anana of the Cincinnati Zoo did not have cubs, and is moving to Detroit, where she may have better luck in becoming pregnant.