Winnipeg zoo's newest polar bear cubs ready to meet public but still need names

The newest polar bear cubs at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo have completed their quarantine period and now need just one more thing: names.

The Assiniboine Park Conservancy is inviting the public to vote in a naming poll for the two orphaned cubs — one male and one female — that arrived at the zoo from Churchill in early December 2017.

The name options for the female cub are:

• Willow
• Tundra

The name options for the male cub are:

• Arctic
• Baffin

The choices were submitted by the zoo's polar bear keeper team and chosen for their relevance to Arctic geography, says a news release from the conservancy.

"Our visitors and the community at large form strong attachments to the polar bears in our care, so we are happy to give them the opportunity to help choose names for these young cubs," said Laura Cabak, spokesperson for the conservancy.

"It's a great way to engage the community in learning about our polar bears and how they can help protect and conserve this iconic species."

The unrelated cubs were identified by Manitoba Sustainable Development as candidates for transfer to the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre, home of the Winnipeg zoo's conservation and research department.

The naming poll will remain open for voting until 4 p.m. on Jan. 25 and the results will be announced the following day.

The cubs will make their public debut at 11 a.m. on Jan. 26 at the conservation centre.

They will then remain on exhibit, with access to both indoor holding and an outdoor enclosure, the news release says.