Cuteness overload

I'm not usually in awe of pictures of kittens or little babies dressed as insects and lying in flowers (no offense if you are), but there's something about cubs (cuddly little faces, huge paws, overall clumsiness) that automatically triggers high-pitched, grating coos from me.

In the region where I grew up, there's a great Zoo that's apparently one of the best in its kind, and should not be missed if you're into boreal fauna. Part of the place is traditional, where you walk around looking at the animals, but for a big part of it, you hop on a little train that goes around a huge wildlife reserve, and can see the animals in their natural habitat (there are also artifacts and buildings from native people and early settlers). I had great memories from going as a child, so a few years ago I returned with my young cousins, and we had a blast. What they definitely enjoyed the most were the brother-and-sister teenage Polar bears.

Well, apparently breeding does not work the same for them as it does for us, because they are now adults, and parents. Last year the female had her first cub, but it didn't survive (OK she ate it). This year, she had two, and had caught up on her mothering skills...



{Pictures from the Zoo's website}

They are now about 17 weeks old, and frankly I just want one to bring home. Seriously. What do you mean it's not a good idea?

You can see plenty of little videos starting from their birth here (amazingly they each weighed less than a pound then). Don't look at them though. Unless you want to become obsessed about holding and hugging them.