Sierra Blogging Post Archives

Polar bears have been making headlines the past few years, but rarely with good news. Arctic warming, ice shelf melting and overhunting are causing polar bear numbers to rapidly dwindle. No doubt you've seen at least one disturbing photo of a polar bear floating out to sea on a tiny chunk of ice.

Those sad facts give us all the more reason to smile when a little one is born. This polar bear cub was born at the Nuremburg City Zoo in Germany two weeks ago. She's being raised by zoo workers now (they were worried her mother might eat her) and will likely rival Knut for the public's attention.



After receiving thousands of calls and emails giving suggestions for a name, the little girl was dubbed "Flocke", which means "Flake" in English. As in snowflake, I'm presuming. She's an adorable little thing and will serve as an ambassador for her troubled species... a reminder of what's at stake in the fight against global warming and loss of Arctic habitat.

You can read more about polar bears at the Defenders of Wildlife site and/or join the campaign to save them.