Mother Tonja has given birth to two polar bear cubs, but only one survived. The zoo's polar curator has warned of the cub's vulnerability months after Tonja's firstborn died.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tierpark Berlin
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Tonja's new cub
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Germans on Saturday celebrated the birth of a polar bear cub at Berlin's Tierpark zoo.
The unnamed cub was one of two polar bears born to mother Tonja. However, one of the cubs was stillborn and later eaten by its mother.
Zoo staff has yet to determine the cub's sex since they are unable to approach the baby polar bear and its mother during the first days of its life.
The cub's birth comes after Tonja's first cub, Fritz, died of unknown causes in March, when it was 4 months old.
"We are very glad. Still, like last year, it's now time to cross fingers," said Tierpark zoo director Andreas Knieriem.
'Very vulnerable'
Tierpark polar bear curator Florian Sicks said that zoo staff has taken the necessary precautions to ensure the best possible outcome for Tonja and her newborn cub.
"We have to rein in the euphoria a bit – the first four to ten days are especially difficult for a polar bear cub," said Sicks.
"They come into the world naked, deaf and blind; so they are very vulnerable to external threats like infectious diseases. We also don't know if the mother has enough milk, if any milk is coming out when the baby drinks. So we have to be cautious, but we are optimistic."
The Tierpark zoo in eastern Berlin is one of two zoological parks in the German capital.
Big and small bears in film and literature
The unexpected death of polar bear cub Fritz saddens Berliners and worldwide fans. Here, we take a look at famous bears in film and literature.
Image: REUTERS/File Photo/L. MacGregor
Fritz the little polar bear
Fritz, the polar bear cub living in Tierpark zoo in Berlin, won hearts almost immediately. Tragically, he died when only four months old. Will his story someday be immortalized in the pages of a book? Many bears in film and literature have won over the hearts of children and adults alike.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Tierpark Berlin
Winnie the Pooh
Sweet, scatterbrained and good-natured - that's Winnie the Pooh. The story of this lovable bear was written in the 1920s by Alan Alexander Milne, who made Pooh the most famous bear to have appeared in children's books. After his death, the rights to the stories were purchased by Walt Disney, and movies and series soon followed. In 2006, Pooh was even given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Image: dpa - Bildarchiv
Paddington Bear
This little bear from Peru arrived at Paddington station with only a sun hat and suitcase in hand. There, the Brown family finds him and takes him along, naming him after the station where he was discovered. Author Michael Bond wrote the story of Paddington bear, which was published in 1958. It was followed by a series and 2014 film: "Paddington."
Image: picture alliance/United Archives/IFTN
The Bare Necessities
Baloo the bear is perhaps best-known as the sweet "Papa bear" from the Disney film "The Jungle Book." Many will be familiar with his catchy tune, "The Bare Necessities," which gained fame all over the world. The 1967 animated film is based loosely on a collection of stories published in the 1900s by English author Rudyard Kipling.
Lars the little polar bear
Lars lives with his parents in the middle of ice and snow in the North Pole. There, he embarks on plenty of exciting and dangerous adventures with his pals. This children's book series was written by Dutch author Hans de beer in 1987. It also received a television show in 1992 and was made into a film in 2001.
Image: picture alliance/United Archives/IFTN
Brother Bear
Set at the end of the Ice Age in North America, a boy named Kenai kills a bear, and in revenge, gets turned into one. Hunted by his own family, he finds a companion in a little bear named Kuma. This 2003 Disney movie is heavy on motives of love, friendship and forgiveness. In 2004, it was even nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Film category.
Image: picture-alliance/KPA
A bear with fatherly instincts
In the Russian animated series "Mascha and the Bear," the bear is a retired circus animal living in a forest hut. He hopes to enjoy his quiet twilight years, but a young girl named Mascha visits frequently, bringing new chaos with each encounter. "Mascha and the Bear" is one of the most famous Russian animated series to date.
Image: Masha and the Bear Ltd
Not only famous in animated form
French feature film "The Bear" from 1988 is the most successful film to have a real bear in the starring role. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the script is based on James Oliver Curwood’s novel "The Grizzly King." It depicts the adventures of a young bear that loses its mother and eventually befriends an older bear.
