After the loss of her cub on March 6th, polar bear mum Tonja is now back outside, where she has been soaking up the first rays of sun and frolicking in the pool.
It was clear to Tonja that little Fritz was in a very bad way when the vets removed him from their den on Monday morning. She spent the next few hours searching for her cub and was clearly quite frantic. Over time she has become much calmer, and responds in a friendly manner to her keepers just like before. However, it will certainly be a few days before she gets back to her usual routine.
Almost nothing is known about the mourning behaviour of polar bears in the wild. As these bears must cover great distances in search of prey, they do not return to their dead like elephants, nor carry their deceased young with them as has been witnessed among apes. Cubs that die in the birthing den are generally eaten by the mother, with this becoming less likely the older they get. Polar bear mothers will defend their young to the death against potential predators such as wolves and male polar bears. But if a young bear lacks the strength to keep up with its mother on the search for food, it will eventually be left behind to ensure the mother’s own survival and that of any other cubs.
“Getting back outdoors is clearly doing Tonja the world of good,” says polar bear curator Dr Florian Sicks. “After having spent five months in the birthing den, she is enjoying going for plenty of dips, playing with her favourite toy, or lying in the sun. This will hopefully help her quickly get over the loss of her cub.”
“We are working with pathologists and experts to try to determine the cause of the young polar bear’s death as quickly as possible, but unfortunately these investigations take time,” explains Zoo and Tierpark Director Dr Andreas Knieriem. “The cub’s father Wolodja will be brought back to the Tierpark as soon as possible. This should provide a welcome distraction for Tonja, and will also give her the opportunity to produce new young – just as she would in the wild.”
Visitors to the Tierpark can currently see Tonja enjoying the redesigned polar bear habitat.
