Mama bear! Hidden camera footage shows polar bear tenderly nursing her two-week-old cub at Vienna zoo after its twin died soon after birth

  • Polar bear Nora became mother for the first time on November 9
  • She gave birth to twins but one of them died at Schönbrunn Zoo on the same day
  • The surviving cub is set to venture outside around the end of January 

By Chiara Fiorillo For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A zoo in Austria has released adorable footage as it celebrates its first polar bear birth for eight years.

Filmed on a hidden camera, the video shows polar bear Nora lying in her enclosure with her two-year-old cub at Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna.  

Nora caresses and feeds the tiny cub, which was born on November 9.

Footage released by the Schönbrunn Zoo shows polar bear Nora tenderly nursing her cub

Footage released by the Schönbrunn Zoo shows polar bear Nora tenderly nursing her cub

The polar bear became mother for the first time when she gave birth to twins, but one of them did not survive. 

Zoo director Dagmar Schratter said workers are taking great care of the new arrival as the mortality rate of baby polar bears outdoors is high.

Ms Schratter added the new mother and her baby are completely undisturbed in the enclosure.

Zoo Director Dagmar Schratter said the pair are completely undisturbed in the enclosure

Zoo Director Dagmar Schratter said the pair are completely undisturbed in the enclosure 

'We observe the rearing over a video camera. So we can follow the development of the little one.

'On the video footage you can see that it is feeding well,' she said.

The sex of the little one is not yet known. 

Nora is expected to take care of her cub for the next few months and it is believed the newborn venture out of the enclosure around the end of January, where it will be visible to the visitors for the first time.

In spring, Nora and male Ranzo mated several times, the zoo said.   

Male polar bears are not involved in rearing in the field, which is why father Ranzo is separated and can still be seen by visitors to the zoo.

The last time polar bears were born at the zoo was in 2011.

It is believed Nora will take care of her cub and it will be released to the grounds in January

It is believed Nora will take care of her cub and it will be released to the grounds in January

At birth, polar bears weigh about half a kilogram and are born blind and almost naked.

The zoo shared the footage on Twitter, where many social media users shared their reactions. 

'Oh, how sweet!' one person commented.

'Look how small that is compared to mum,' another social media user wrote.

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