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| Mika and Nuka in Karlsruhe Germany. Photo by Petra Ballon. |
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| Mika in Karlsruhe. Photo from zoo's facebook page. |
MiKa, a little boy pronounced MeeKah, was born in Karlsruhe on November 2 to Nuka and Kap. Nuka gave birth to twins outside the den, but in a sheltered part of the mother-cub enclosure. Polar bear babies are fragile and have a 50 percent survival rate in the wild and in zoos, but these babies were even more at risk because they were not safely in a den. But one of the cubs did survive. Mika is doing well, and is now exploring the large enclosure with his mom Nuka, who was born in Aalborg. Mika's father Kap is unwell, and at the moment is resting inside. MiKa's name includes the Ka for Zoo Karlsruhe.
Mika's mother Nuka is half sister of the late famous Knut, as they share the same father Lars. So Mika is Knut's nephew.
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| Milka (Yumki) and her cub in an early photo provided by the zoo. |
Milka (Yumki) and Seridu had a girl cub in Perm Zoo in Russia on November 15. Not much information is out there about the cub, and the Russian government does not allow zoos to use Facebook. Some zoos in Russia don't give names to the cubs. I remember Rasputin didn't get named until he arrived in Nuremberg when he was about a year old. I have not heard that this cub has a name yet.
Milka is half sister of Pim, father of Nur, the cub in Brazil, on their mother's side. Milka is also half brother of Gogo, father of new cub Rai in Japan.
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| Shilka and Rai. Photo from the zoo's facebook page. |
A boy named Rai was born November 18 to Shilka and Gogo in Yokohama Zoorasia in Japan. Rai is the second cub for the couple. Their first cub was Hochan, who lives in Tennoji Zoo in Osaka.
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| Nur and Aurora - Aquario de Sao Paulo facebook page |
On November 25, wildborn Aurora and Russian born Pim had a girl who was quickly named Nur in The Aquarium of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is the only cub born in the Western Hemisphere this year, also also the Southern Hemisphere. Aurora and Pim both came from Russia originally. This is their first cub.
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| Jorek and Ootek at play in Sosto Hungary Photo from the zoo's facebook page |
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| A kiss for mama Sznezsana, - photo from the zoo's facebook page - Monika Czombané Nádasdi |
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| Sznezsana nursing her boys - photo from the zoo's facebook page Monika Czombané Nádasdi |
On November 27 , Moscow born Sznezsana and Vienna born Lloyd had twin boys Jorek and Ootek in Nyíregyházi Állatpark (Sosto Zoo) in Hungary.
Jorek is named for the armored "panzerbear" in the Golden Compass books and movies. Ootek is an elderly Inuit character in the movie "Never Cry Wolf."
The boys' father Lloyd is also the father of Lale, Lili, and twins Anna and Elsa born in Bremerhaven Germany. Lloyd is the grandson of Aika of Tierpark Berlin and also the grandson of Omaha of the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska.
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| Paula and her twins. Photo from zoo's facebook page. |
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| Paula with daughter Sora and son Umi. Photo by Hasumi Nobuo. You can see Paula has her grandmother Aika's big round ears. |
Twins were born in Yagiyama Zoological Park in Sendai Japan on December 20 to Paula and Kai. The boy is named Umi and the girl is name Sora. Paula is the granddaughter of Aika of Tierpark Berlin.
Umi means "sea" and Sora means "sky" in Japanese.
