Nora the Famous Polar Bear Cub at the Columbus Zoo Is Moving to Her New Oregon Home In the Fall

Nora, the absolutely adorable polar bear cub was hand-raised by the dedicated staff at the Columbus Zoo after her mother rejected her just a few days after she was born, will be moving to her new home at the Oregon Zoo in the fall. The decision was made in order to provide an environment that would be most conducive to Nora’s busy schedule, which would have otherwise disturbed the pregnant females in Ohio.

Nora was born on Nov. 6, 2015, at the Columbus Zoo. Her mother initially provided maternal care, but after about a week she left the cub unattended in the den for prolonged periods of time. At that point, the Columbus Zoo care team made the difficult decision to hand-rear the cub and began providing around-the-clock care. Nora weighed about 1 pound when the care team began raising her; she now weighs more than 150. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan recommended Nora’s transfer so that the Columbus Zoo could provide the best environment for future cubs to be born. Would-be mothers require calm and quiet, which would not have been possible with the scheduled habitat rotations that occurred with Nora.

Nora’s story as told by Shannon Morarity, one of her dedicated caretakers at the Columbus Zoo.