2 Polar Bears Make Debut At Maryland Zoo

BALTIMORE, MD — There are two new residents at the Maryland Zoo. Polar bears Neva and Amelia Gray made their first public appearance in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 1, according to Maryland Zoo officials.

Staff members say the bears' personalities will likely make them a hit with zoo visitors.

"I think people will be very excited about them because they’re so playful," Mammal Collection and Conservation Manager Erin Cantwell said in a statement.

The cubs, Neva and Amelia Gray, are half-sisters who will celebrate their second birthday this month.

Amelia Gray has a small gray patch of fur on her neck. She weighs more than 425 pounds, officials reported, and was born on Nov. 8, 2016.

Neva, whose name means "white snow," is almost 400 pounds, according to the zoo, and was born on Nov. 14, 2016.

"Neva is very independent and curious, and Amelia Gray is spunky and a bit particular," Cantwell said.

When the bears are fully grown, officials say they will be more than 500 pounds each. They mainly eat seals, according to zoo officials.

Normally, they live in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia, according to the Maryland Zoo, which reports their population is declining because sea ice is disappearing due to global warming.

There are approximately 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the wild, officials said.

The Maryland Zoo supports worldwide polar bear conservation efforts and is a member of Polar Bears International, which works to save the sea ice habitat of polar bears. Staffers have traveled from Maryland to Canada to watch polar bears in their native habitat, and the Maryland Zoo participates in research studies to help understand, protect and better care for the creatures.

The new cubs came from the Columbus Zoo in early October and had to be quarantined, which is a standard procedure, while acclimating to their new home.

They arrived at the zoo after another polar bear — Anoki, 22 — returned in October to the Seneca Park Zoo in New York, where she was born, based on a recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The association has a specific plan for polar bears that outlines what is best for species survival.

When Neva and Amelia Gray were living in Ohio, they saw each other but did not interact, since they had different mothers, and polar bears typically raise their young independently, according to the Maryland Zoo.

After arriving in Baltimore on Oct. 9 with a transition team of staffers from the Columbus Zoo, officials said they were introduced to their new home, care team and each other.

"It’s a great opportunity for us to have such young bears because it’s a sign that accredited zoos are working hard together to conserve the polar bear species," Cantwell said. "These bears are important ambassadors for their species."

In fact, Amelia means "defender," and zoo officials said that was because she's a defender of the species of polar bears.

Officials say that Neva and Amelia Gray are still getting used to their new home, so their time out in public will vary.

"Please BEAR with us as their schedules may change daily," the zoo reported on Thursday, Nov. 1. "For now, the best chance to see them will be in the mornings."

People can check on the polar bears by following the Maryland Zoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Still photo from the polar bear video from The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore/YouTube.