Polar bear female “Vera” possibly pregnant – Bavaria

The polar bear “Vera” in the Nuremberg zoo could be expecting her sixth cub. There are several signs that the 19-year-old female polar bear could be pregnant, the city said on Wednesday. Now we have to wait and see: “Vera” has withdrawn into her cave and is being observed there by a camera. There are no plans to investigate them. “She shouldn’t be disturbed so close to a possible due date,” says veterinarian Hermann Will. There is therefore no definitive confirmation of pregnancy. In February and March, animal keepers observed how “Vera” had mated with polar bear “Nanuq”. In September the team of vets found an increased level of the hormone progesterone in the blood of the polar bear, which increases with pregnancy. In polar bears, mating triggers ovulation. However, the egg does not implant itself in the uterus until months later, when the female has fed on enough fat reserves for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Iron bear cubs are born almost naked and blind. At birth, they weigh a good 500 grams, and when they leave the cave three to four months later, it is an average of ten kilograms.

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