Dalian City, China:
Twin polar bear cubs were introduced to the cameras on Monday at a wildlife park in northeast China's Liaoning Province.
The bear cubs, a male and a female, were rejected by their mother just hours after they were delivered and have been hand reared by staff at the Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park for the past three months.
The cubs' parents were gifts from Finland to China in 2001.
The twins were born on January 7, 2011.
Four hours after the cubs were delivered, their mother stopped nursing them and left them on the cement floor.
Experts at the park decided to remove the cubs and rear them by hand.
In the wild, a mother bear will pick the stronger baby to feed, and leave the other to test its luck.
Breeders at the park's Pole Aquarium candidly expressed their love for the bear cubs.
"At the time of emergency treatment, the baby bear's heartbeat stopped. I sat there and burst into tears. We three breeders all cried. While crying, I felt that its heart began to beat again, since its heart was close to mine, and its face was on mine," recalled Li Li, one of the breeders.
Many challenges still lie ahead of the cubs.
An official at the zoo said the cubs needed time to adapt to eating solid food.
"This process will enable their digestive system adapt to various foods and help to improve their physical functions. If they go through this test, they will be able to survive," said the official, He Jiadong.
The bear cubs, a male and a female, were rejected by their mother just hours after they were delivered and have been hand reared by staff at the Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park for the past three months.
The cubs' parents were gifts from Finland to China in 2001.
The twins were born on January 7, 2011.
Four hours after the cubs were delivered, their mother stopped nursing them and left them on the cement floor.
Experts at the park decided to remove the cubs and rear them by hand.
In the wild, a mother bear will pick the stronger baby to feed, and leave the other to test its luck.
Breeders at the park's Pole Aquarium candidly expressed their love for the bear cubs.
"At the time of emergency treatment, the baby bear's heartbeat stopped. I sat there and burst into tears. We three breeders all cried. While crying, I felt that its heart began to beat again, since its heart was close to mine, and its face was on mine," recalled Li Li, one of the breeders.
Many challenges still lie ahead of the cubs.
An official at the zoo said the cubs needed time to adapt to eating solid food.
"This process will enable their digestive system adapt to various foods and help to improve their physical functions. If they go through this test, they will be able to survive," said the official, He Jiadong.
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