POWELL -- Nuniq, Neva and Amelia Gray -- the only polar bear cubs born at a North American zoological facility in 2016 -- are scheduled to move from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium this fall.
Females Amelia Gray and her half-sister, Neva, will both move to The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The announcement of Neva’s twin brother Nuniq’s new home will be made soon.
All three bears are weaned, which means they're accustomed to food other than their mother's milk. 650-pound Nuniq now outweighs his mother, Aurora. Moving the young bears to other facilities allows for the opportunity for a male polar bear to meet the females, Aurora and Anana.
“Since the Polar Frontier region opened in 2010, the Columbus Zoo’s polar bear program has been very successful--even resulting in the birth of four cubs, starting with Nora in 2015, who now resides at Utah’s Hogle Zoo," said Columbus Zoo and Aquarium President and CEO Tom Stalf. "We are proud of the knowledge and expertise our animal care team has contributed to the zoological community about polar bears and other threatened wildlife, and we remain committed to efforts to protect these species, whose numbers are declining in their native ranges."
The dates when Nuniq, Neva and Amelia Gray will make their first public appearance at their new homes have not yet been announced. They will be introduced to their new animal care teams while still in Ohio, and their Columbus Zoo care team will also travel with them to help facilitate her transitions.
