If you have yet to come across the viral video of Nora the baby polar bear, you are sure missing out. We were introduced to Nora a mere five months ago and she has been melting our hearts ever since.
She born on November 6 of 2015 to mother Aurora and father Nanuq. When first born, Aurora was attentive to her two newborn cubs, but since the survival rate of newborn cubs is only about 50 percent, unfortunately, her sibling did not make it. Afterwards, Aurora distanced herself from Nora. The workers at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio noticed the attention Nora was not getting and needed, especially during this time, so they decided to take her in and raise her during her infancy. Nora holds a special place in intensive care unit of the hospital, since she was hand-reared there, ever since she was one pound. Now 50 pounds, Nora is ready to show off her exuberant personality to viewers at the Polar Frontier exhibit. Nora is the first baby polar that has survived at the Columbus Zoo in over 27 years.
On Friday, April 15, nearly a thousand fans lined up at the Polar Frontier exhibit to get a glimpse of the internet sensation, Nora the polar bear. At 9:30 a.m., she was released into the exhibit for the first time. She was not timid at all as she explored around the exhibit. The energetic polar bear bounded across the exhibit ,showing off her swimming and playful sides. She made it evident that she loved her toys, especially her orange traffic cone. Nora got the crowd interacting when she got her cone stuck to her head. Needless to say she did not disappoint! It was so adorable and made us all fall in love with the the precious polar bear all over again.
The public can now view Nora, depending on her health and well-being. Viewing times are from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., and as she gets older, the times will begin to increase. The Columbus Zoo workers are not planning on introducing her to the adult polar bear, nor allowing her in the exhibit with others, in order to keep her safe. Her future location is still to be further determined. If you are around the Columbus area this summer, make sure you stop by the Columbus Zoo and check out Nora the polar bear for yourself! I personally am putting a visit to see and interact with Nora on the top of my summer bucket list.