TOLEDO, Ohio — Editor's note: The above video originally aired March. 3
UPDATE: The polar bears' debut has been delayed. A polar bear cub live stream video was added to the bottom of this story.
You've waited for months to see them! The Toledo Zoo recently announced its new polar bear cubs will soon be on display for the public. Their debut is currently on hold but the zoo plans to post an update to their social media platforms, according to a Facebook post.
Once they make their debut, Kallik and Kallu, who were named through a public contest in March, will be on display with their mother in the Arctic Encounter exhibit from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The two male cubs were born Nov. 11, 2022, and the zoo announced their arrival in early December.
The cubs were born to 23-year-old polar bear Crystal as a part of a breeding program. The male polar bear who sired the twins, 17-year-old Nuka, was relocated to another zoo in late February as a part of the AZA Species Survival Plan.
The two cubs are the first to be born to the zoo since 2010 and are Crystal's eighth and ninth cub. They are expected to appear in front of zoo visitors later this spring.
Polar bears are considered endangered species and the Polar bear Species Survival Program issued a breeding recommendation for the mother, 23-year-old Crystal. The father, Nuka, was welcomed to the zoo in March to begin the breeding process.
The cubs have been growing off exhibit since their birth. At birth, polar bear cubs are about 12 inches long, weigh only about one pound and are blind and toothless with short, soft fur.
Cubs are completely dependent on their mother, but will grow rapidly by drinking the mother’s milk, which is 31 percent fat. The mother and cub will not emerge from the den until the cub reaches 20-30 pounds and could safely travel to sea ice for feeding.
Polar bear cub live stream:
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