Europe Features

In photos: Polar bear cub separated from mother - Nuremberg, Germany

By M&C News Jan 9, 2008, 15:30 GMT

Female polar bear 'Vera' carries her cub around at the zoo of Nuremberg, Germany, 08 January 2008. The two cubs of the zoo's other polar bear 'Vilma' were apparently eaten by their mother. Polar bears are known for eating ill offspring and this could provide a possible explanation. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN

Female polar bear 'Vera' carries her cub back to the cave at the zoo of Nuremberg, Germany, 08 January 2008. The two cubs of the zoo's other polar bear 'Vilma' were apparently eaten by their mother. Polar bears are known for eating ill offspring and this could provide a possible explanation. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN

Female polar bear 'Vera' attends to her cub at the zoo of Nuremberg, Germany, 08 January 2008. The two cubs of the zoo's other polar bear 'Vilma' were apparently eaten by their mother. Polar bears are known for eating ill offspring and this could provide a possible explanation.

Female polar bear 'Vera' protects her cub at the zoo of Nuremberg, Germany, 08 January 2008. The two cubs of the zoo's other polar bear 'Vilma' were apparently eaten by their mother. Polar bears are known for eating ill offspring and this could provide a possible explanation.

The handout picture shows a keeper holding up the polar bear cub that has just been separated from its mother at the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, 08 January 2008. The decision to have zoo keepers raise the animal was made in order to protect the cub against mother 'Vera'. EPA/TIERGARTEN NUERNBERG HANDOUT

Barred from its cave, polar bear 'Vera' searches for her cub at the zoo of Nuremberg, Germany, 08 January 2008. The zoo has decided to have zoo keepers raise the cub in order to protect it against mother 'Vera'. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN

Female polar bear 'Vilma' is pictured at the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, 08 January 2008. As reported the day before, Vilma has apparently eaten its two cubs. Offspring of the zoo's other polar bear 'Vera' were separated from its mother 08 January to be raise by keepers. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN

Polar bear Vera lies in her enclosure in the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, 09 January 2008. Vera was sperated from her 5-week-old baby for its' safety. The baby is now bottle-fed. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN

The undated handout picture shows a polar bear baby in the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany. For its own safety, the 5-week-old baby was seperated from its' mother Vera and is bottle-fed. EPA/CITY OF NUREMBERG / HO

Polar bear Vera lies in her enclosure in the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, 09 January 2008. Vera was sperated from her 5-week-old baby for its' safety. The baby is now bottle-fed. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN

Dag Encke (L), director of the Nuremberg zoo, answers questions about the polar bear baby at a press conference in Nuremberg, Germany, 09 January 2007. For its own safety, the 5-week-old baby was seperated from its' mother Vera and is bottle-fed. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN

Polar bear Vera is filmed by TV cameras in her enclosure in the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, 09 January 2008. Vera was sperated from her 5-week-old baby for its' safety. The baby is now bottle-fed. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN