Polar bear mother has triplets at Wildlife Park in Netherlands

Kim Kardashian may have attempted to break the internet recently… but this good news story is sure to melt it!

Polar Bear mother by the name of ‘Freedom’ is seen in the webcam video above with her newly born triplets, all in great health and born this week at Ouwehands Dierenpark in the Netherlands.

The team at the zoo told us:

“Freedom gave birth to her triplets in the delivery room of the polar bear enclosure. It is not that unusual for three young to be born, but it is very rare to see this number raised in captivity. Things will remain tense in the coming weeks, but all seems well from the images which the keepers are viewing daily. The young are lively and, up to now, are drinking well from their mother. In the coming months, Freedom will remain in the delivery room with her young and no staff are allowed to enter the area, hence no photos of the new family.”

The polar bear group at Ouwehands Zoo consists of two polar bears at the moment: Freedom and her mother Huggies.

Victor, the father of the triplets, was moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in England in August. During his time at Ouwehands Zoo, Victor was very important for the European breeding programme. He produced no less than 16 (including these latest triplets) offspring. In the meantime, two of his young have also reproduced.

Now as cute as this news may be, and it will have the world melting whilst they think of the new mother and her newborns, however there is a very serious side to the survival of species such as Polar Bears and so many animals worldwide… and the responsibility really is with us all as individuals.

We also know how strongly many people feel about animals being kept in captivity or in zoos, parks and enclosures… and so it is quite crucial to understand the important work parks such as this in the Netherlands are doing.

European breeding programme

Ouwehands Zoo is successful in the breeding of this endangered species. The main reason why the polar bear found itself on the list of endangered species is the consequences of climate change. The breeding programme is very important for preserving this threatened animal species.

Pole to Pole campaign

In the Polar Regions, climate change is unrelenting. The earth is heating up due to the greenhouse effect and the sea ice is melting very rapidly. This has an impact on the habitat of various polar animals, including the polar bear. The ice floes from which polar bears hunt are becoming smaller and further apart. This means that they have no choice but to swim for long distances to find food. More and more polar bears are drowning as a result. The Pole to Pole campaign is about us and how we can help polar wildlife by making small changes in our behaviour.

For more information, visit www.ouwehand.nl/pole-to-pole

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Special thanks to the team at Ouwehands Zoo.