Lapland zoo wants polar bear cubs

Hope is building at Rauna in Lapland about the prospect of polar bear cubs being born in the town’s zoo.

Zookeepers have revealed that two of the polar bears – Manasse and Venus – mated recently, increasing hopes that some baby bears could be on the way later in the year. Mari Heikkila, a worker in the zoo, said there has been love in the air of late so in November or December they’ll see if there are any new arrivals.

The bears’ previous cub, Ranzo, was the first polar bear cub in Finland to survive in captivity. He was moved to Vienna Zoo in Austria last week.

It is not only polar bears who have been feeling the love this spring; Lapland owls Alexis and Kalle mated, with zookeepers finding two eggs in the avian home recently. They are due to hatch in the coming weeks. Heikkila said that Alexis is keeping a close eye on things as Kalle sits on the eggs. She added that Alexis’s last partner’s eggs didn’t hatch, meaning he is probably keen to make sure everything runs smoothly this time out.

As long as everything goes as expected, it would be the first time Lapland owl chicks have hatched at the zoo.