Playing & Flirting in Seneca....Zero & Aurora

Hier haben wir wieder Zero, nun in Seneca, wo er bereits am 21. Januar angekommen war, der Öffentlichkeit und Presse wurde er allerdings erst letzten Freitag vorgestellt, und zwar schon zusammen mit Aurora. Zero scheint den Umzug gut verkraftet zu haben und wie man sieht, ist es bereits zu Annäherungen mit Aurora gekommen...
Zero the polar bear arrives in town

Whether they were just playing together or engaged in some serious flirting, Zero and Aurora were at the center of attention Friday.

Zero — all 1,150 pounds of him — is the latest addition to the Seneca Park Zoo, having recently arrived from the Milwaukee County Zoo. He made his Rochester debut at a news conference unveiling him to the public.

Aurora, who had been the only polar bear here until Zero's arrival, seemed delighted to have a new companion as they frolicked together in the zoo's Rocky Coasts exhibition area.

"Cubs are certainly the long-term goal of this couple," said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks at a news conference at the zoo.

She went on to say: "Is there any better time of the year to announce a great relationship than Valentine's Day?"

Zero was recommended for the Seneca Park Zoo by the Polar Bear Species Survival Plan, a conservation breeding program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

In Milwaukee, Zero and his mate had not been able to produce offspring, but the hope is that Zero will find fatherhood here.

After the introductory comments were made at Friday's news conference, the 20-year-old Zero entered the exhibition area and chased Aurora before they fell in the water together.

Aurora, who is about the same age as Zero but half his weight, has been without a mate since August 2008, when Yukon the polar bear died.

But Aurora made it clear that she was not bullied and that she'd get her fair share of some fish given to the couple in a block of ice.

"He'd get close to it and she'd charge at him," said Veronica Siaca, 21 of Rochester.

Claiming that Aurora was playing hard to get, Siaca added: "He has not quite figured out how to approach her."

Siaca's fiancé, Ryan Douglas, 27, of Rochester, blamed Zero for lacking "swagger" and not standing firm.

"He's a teddy bear, not a polar bear," Douglas said.

Source: here, see video here

A big thank you to Pam from Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester who sent me the photo of Zero and the link to the article...

Knut & Gianna ....Every day a Valentine's Day.....

Wie immer etwas später als alle anderen, aber wen kümmert's?-
As usual a bit late, but who cares...

Nach einem nicht ganz einfachen Auftakt im Herbst, scheinen Knut & Gianna mittlerweile einfach unzertrennlich zu sein...-
After a slighly difficult start in autumn, Knut & Gianna seem to be unseperable now...
Oft sieht man sie verknotet ineinander...-
Often one can see them tied together...
Sich im Arm haltend und Süßholz raspelnd...-
Holding each other tight, saying sweet things to each other...Sie scheinen nicht genug voneinander zu bekommen...-
They can't get enough of each other...Neugier inbegriffen...Gianna will es wie immer ganz genau wissen!-
Gianna's curiosity is alreeady legendary... Eine kleine Massage gefällig, Schatz?-
A little massage, my dear?
Schnee kann so romantisch sein...wenn man mit dem richtigen Eisbären zusammen ist...-
Isn't it romantic to roll in the snow, especialy when together with Mr.Right......einer der weiß, wo es am meisten kitzelt...-
...who seems exactly to know where his lady's got her ticklish parts...

Hier gibt es einen stürmischen Knut, der mit Gianna im Schnee spielt, denn darum geht es bei den beiden 3 jährigen Eisbärkids trotz aller Intimitäten noch immer...-
Enjoy here a stormy Knut playing with Gianna in the snow, 2 polar bear kids frolicking, beside all intimacy, it's just about that: sharing playful moments together ...



Photo credits: Isle (1), Frans (2), ChristinaM (3,9), SimoneF (4, 5), Petra W (6,7), MarionK (8) -All photos found via Knutitis...There are many more beautiful photos taken under the freezing conditions of this winter, thanks to all photographers who didn't mind ice & snow just to visit the young couple...!

Video credits: ChristinaM/12.02.2010 - more videos of the last days can be found there...

A Heart and ....A Wonderful World....

Das ist Heart, gerade mal um die 3 Wochen alt und geboren mit einem herzförmigen Mal auf der Stirn, ruht sie sich auf der Yamakun Farm in der Nähe Tokios aus. Perfektes Timing kann man da nur sagen, zum Jahr des Büffels und kurz vor dem Valentinstag...Ja, ich weiß, er ist schon wieder vorbei..., doch wenn man es genau betrachtet, mit Heart ist jeder Tag ein Valentinstag, oder? -This is Heart, a little Japanese ox of just 3 weeks, born with a heart-shaped marking on his forehead. Here it relaxes at Yamakun Farm, not too far from Tokyo. Perfect timing, considering the Year of the Ox and Valentine's Day. Yes, I know that has been yesterday, but I prefer thinking that with Heart every day is a Valentine's Day, don't you think so too ?

Anyway - love , friendship and nature . Enjoy the clip and thank Barbara for it- she shared the link some days ago...A Wonderful World....It's simply beautiful and heartwarming!



Photo credits: Heart-Itsuo Inouye/AP

And here a funny link...Spend your Valentine's Day in a zoo and experience "zoorotica" (adults only...) - Und hier auf Deutsch...