The First Polar Bear From Latin America Born in Brazil’s Aquarium
Photo courtesy of the Sao Paulo Aquarium, showing the polar cub Nur, daughter of Aurora and Peregrino, a pair of Russian bears that have been living together for 10 years in the São Paulo Aquarium, Brazil. Photo: EFE/Aquarius of São Paulo
February 15, 2025 Hour: 2:33 pm
The São Paulo Aquarium announced the first successful case of breeding polar bear in Latin America, a female calf, named Nur, who was born on November 17.
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According to the news agency Agência Brasil, the institution hopes to start the process of adapting the space so that it can be seen by visitors.
“The calf stays with its mother in an internal area, similar to the habitat that the species creates under natural conditions, and the exit will respect the rhythm of the animals,” says Agência Brasil.
In an exclusive video from the BBC, you can watch the entire process of gestation of mother bear Aurora, from the moment she leaves Peregrine to be collected in a cave, until the day of her birth and the subsequent care of mother bear for her calf, a job in which the father is not involved.
According to experts, the first year of any polar bear, especially the first few hours, represents a critical period for animal survival.
“When the baby was born and started screaming, Aurora immediately turned her attention to the baby and that was a relief for the team,” said Laura Reisfeld, head veterinarian of the São Paulo Aquarium, in the video.
The suspicion that Aurora was pregnant arose a few months after May last year, after the couple was observed copulating, when the bear began to separate from Peregrino and stay longer in the cave.
“In nature it is common for the couple to separate, since the father does not help in the gestation or in the raising of the cubs. This moment is very important because the female’s metabolism goes down, she stops eating and stays in the cave for the birth,” explained the expert.
For the veterinary, the birth of Nur under human care is something “very important” because it is one of the species “most affected by global warming”.
Autor: ACJ
Fuente: EFE // Agencia Brasil // EFE