If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Another cute polar bear cub is in the news — no, not Knut, the German polar bear cub who has been in the news all year, but Hudson, the polar bear cub at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo. He recently got his name in a contest sponsored by the zoo. Of the more than 5000 names that were submitted, Hudson was chosen because Hudson Bay in Canada is part of the polar bear’s range.

Hudson has learned to swim, thanks to mom Arki, who taught Hudson as the zookeepers slowly added water to the bears’ pool. Hudson took to the water like, well, a polar bear. Polar bears are semi-aquatic mammals so Hudson should be a good swimmer, which he is, and he now spends much of his day in the pool.

Hudson pouncing on a toy

Since Canada’s Hudson Bay is being affected by global warming, the Chicago Zoological Society staff hopes that the cub’s name will bring attention to this problem, which researchers fear could lead to extinction of the species by the end of this century.

Hudson beats to his own drum

Hudson is also growing fast, now weighing about 70 pounds. If you get a chance to go to the Brookfield Zoo, Hudson can be seen daily with his mom, Arki. For those of you who can’t visit the zoo, here is a link to the Zoo’s videos of Hudson. You’ll find them at the end of the zoo’s short article “Polar Bear Paddling” with the titles listed below. They are wonderful, so do take a few minutes to enjoy them.

Hudson explores his pool.

Hudson is not always in the water. He plays with all the toys keepers leave out for him.

Keepers hide treats for the polar bears and Hudson is very good at finding them
http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/0.asp?shttplink=../pgpages/pagegen.360.aspx&nsection=

Bear hugs,

Frankie