It’s a popular topic of conversation to marvel at how fast children grow up, but humans have nothing on polar bears!
The twins of mother bear Freedom, male Akiak and female Sura, were born in November 2014, weighing only about a pound each. In less than a year, Akiak is now 137 kg (302 lbs) and Sura is 97 kg (213 lbs)! This is likely because they are eating a lot of everything, including their first live trout which they caught after getting a lesson from mom.
The twins’ grandmother, Huggie, is now frequently in with the family. Everyone is getting along well, though Akiak sometimes challenges grandma; so far there hasn’t been physical contact.
Sometimes Freedom plays with Akiak and Sura, and the twins also enjoy playing together. However, the twins also like playing on their own with their toys, especially ones they can throw. They will throw the items in the water then jump in after them and also enjoy playing on the ground or on the tree stems positioned above the water.
The cubs will travel to a new zoo when they are about 1.5 years old, but their destination is not yet known.
Soon wild polar bears will also be seen on the explore.org live cams, so stay tuned for more big bear fun from Churchill, Manitoba!
