Hello, Nora!
An adorable 3-month-old polar bear born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio finally has a name.
Nora is "a combination of the cub's parents' names, Nanuq, and Aurora," the zoo said in a Feb. 5 statement.
The zoo enlisted the help of the public to name the tiny cub, who was abandoned by her mother shortly after her birth. According to the zoo, people from 115 countries participated in an online poll to choose a name.
"We hope that those who have been watching Nora grow will continue to do so throughout her life," said Tom Stalk, president and CEO of Columbus Zoo, in a statement.
Nora was born on Nov. 6, and stayed with her mother for five days until it was clear Aurora was not going to care for the cub, Shannon Morarity, assistant curator of the Columbus Zoo, told USA TODAY in November.
"We aren't sure if it was an issue because Aurora was a first-time mom or if she wasn't producing enough milk. It's really speculation," Morarity said.
Because the first month of a polar bear's life is extremely "critical," the zoo waited to name Nora until she was a few months old.
She is now 18 pounds and "is starting to become independent," Morarity said in a statement.
