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A Helpless Baby Polar Bear = A Beautiful Burst of PR

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American



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Who doesn't love a cute baby animal video? Especially when it comes with a feel-good story, like the one materializing at the Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark. Baby Siku (whose name means Sea Ice in Greenlandic Language) was born on November 22. His mother Ilka had no milk in her teats to offer to Siku, so staff at the park took matters into their own hands and started bottle feeding the helpless cub. Without this intervention it is likely that Siku would not have survived. Now, at just over 1 month old, Siku is thriving and winning the hearts of viewers around the globe. I can imagine that the park board must be thrilled with the exposure that comes with having such an incredibly cute new addition to care for. In order to provide round the clock care for Siku, the park has employed three full time staff. As you watch the videos below you'll see just how much help this tiny cub requires - having given birth this fall to a helpless infant of my own, I can certainly understand!

Carin Bondar is a biologist, writer and film-maker with a PhD in population ecology from the University of British Columbia. Find Dr. Bondar online at www.carinbondar.com, on twitter @drbondar or on her facebook page: Dr. Carin Bondar – Biologist With a Twist.

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