Toronto Zoo veterinarians are monitoring a tiny polar bear cub in its intensive care unit, trying to ensure its survival.
The female cub was one of two babies born Wednesday, Nov. 11, to the zoo's 15-year-old female polar bear named Aurora. The female cub's sibling did not survive the first 24 hours.
The cubs' 800-pound mother showed "good maternal instincts," the zoo said in a statement Friday, announcing the birth and death.
Aurora attempted to nurse both cubs, but she was not producing any milk, staff said.
When one of the cubs died, staff intervened and moved the surviving bear to its Wildlife Health Centre, where it can be monitored 24 hours a day.
Vets are providing supportive medical care and intravenous fluids, while feeding the cub with a milk formula developed by the zoo.
"This is an extremely critical time for this tiny cub and Zoo staff are providing 24/7 care," Head of Veterinary Services Chris Dutton said in the statement.
"In the cub's first week, it faced a few significant challenges that required medical interventions but so far it appears to have responded very well to the treatments we provided."
Polar bears grow to weigh between 330 and 1,300 pounds, but are only approximately one pound at birth. They are approximately 30 centimetres long, and are blind and toothless.
