Berlin's new baby polar bear has a name, after one of its sponsors. The little cub charmed visitors to the city's Tierpark zoo when she was introduced to the world last month.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Kalaene
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Four months after she was born, Berlin's Tierpark on Tuesday morning revealed the name of the popular polar baby bear that has been winning over the hearts of so many visitors.
The zoo said that, in recent months, it had received 5,300 name naming suggestions. However, the final decision was reached with a little help from Bundesliga soccer side Hertha Berlin.
Tierpark Berlin was tasked with finding a sponsor to help raise its profile, and settled on city football side, simply calling the club Hertha.
As part of its responsibilities, Hertha Berlin will help finance the polar bear's care while also raising awareness of the plight of the animals in the world.
"We thought we needed a strong sponsor," said Tierpark director Andreas Knierem. Quite simply, it was thought, fans of the club might also be fans of the cub.
Hertha Berlin tweeted its delight at being chosen.
"In Berlin you can be anything, even a polar bear called Hertha," the club said. "Two great Berlin institutions are now working together," said Hertha Berlin's commercial manager Ingo Schiller.
Introducing Berlin's new baby polar bear
Berlin's Tierpark has welcomed a new family member, a polar bear cub. Born to mother Tonja, the little cub charmed Tierpark visitors during her first public appearance.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Pedersen
Hello world
Berlin's Tierpark presented its latest addition on Saturday, a brand new baby polar bear. Nine-year-old mother Tonja and her cub, who is still to be named, made their first public appearance together with mom keeping a close eye on her baby as she explored the outdoors for the first time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Pedersen
Under mom's paw
The first few months of the cub's life were spent in darkness with her mother. Baby polar bears are born deaf and blind and need intensive care from their mother when they are first born. Zoo directors have said the cub's name will be determined in collaboration with potential future adopters.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Zinken
Like mother, like daughter
The zoo's polar bear keeper, Florian Sicks, said the bond between the two was very close. "Tonja is a very good mother, taking incredibly good care of her cub, never letting her out of her sight. We can't complain."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Pedersen
A new celebrity
There was quite a turn out for the cub's first public appearance. Many photographers came to capture the baby polar bear's first steps outdoors and they weren't disappointed. The cub provided the crowd with plenty of picture-perfect opportunities.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Zinken
Putting on a show
The cub must have known the cameras were for her. She ran around the enclosure and rolled on the ground, absorbing her new environment. She even took a quick dip for the paparazzi.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Zinken
'Love you, mum'
The cub's mother Tonya sadly lost three cubs in the past two years. The mortality rate of polar bears is very high during the first three months of life. Male polar bears don't play a large role in the lives of their young — the cub's father, Wolodja, lives in a zoo in the Netherlands.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Zinken
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While finding a name was a protracted process this time around, that wasn't the case when Knut the polar bear — who became a huge star at the zoo — was first presented to the world. His name simply occurred to zookeeper Thomas Dörflein at random.
Zoo officials are hoping Hertha can emulate some of the popularity of Knut, who attracted widespread media attention, once featuring on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine and even appearing on German stamps. Sadly, Knut died from a suspected brain tumor in 2011.
