ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - A pair of polar bear sisters separated just days after birth due were successfully reunited at the Detroit Zoo this month, playing and frolicking to the delight of staff and guests alike.
The Detroit Zoo announced the exciting family reunion of twins Astra and Laerke on Monday after they were split up following a medical emergency that occurred shortly after their birth on Nov. 17, 2020.
"These twins were separated... because Laerke had a medical emergency that required around-the-clock care," the zoo said on social media. "By the time she recovered, their mother, Suka, did not recognize Laerke as her own."
As a result, the cubs grew up apart, with Astra staying with Suka while Laerke developed with the help of a grizzly bear "playmate" named Jebbie.
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The zoo credits Jebbie with helping Laerke learn "much needed socialization" during her upbringing.
Now, after several years apart, the zoo is celebrating the twin sisters' successful reintroduction and urges guests to come see the joyful reunion.
"Astra and Laerka are back together again and seem to be making up for lost playtime!" zoo officials stated.
The sisters can be seen together at Arctic Ring of Life while their parents, Suka and Nuka, now live together in a separate area.
Guests over the weekend took to social media, saying that watching the two sisters play together was a "wonderful" sight to see.
"We loved watching them play on Saturday!" One commenter wrote.
"We saw them on Saturday too. What a joy!" Another poster said.
The Arctic Ring of Life ranks as one of North America’s largest polar bear habitats, the Detroit Zoo stated.
The state-of-the-art, interactive facility encompasses more than four acres of outdoor and indoor spaces and showcases its residents with a "spectacular 70-foot-long Frederick and Barbara Erb Polar Passage, a clear tunnel that winds through a vast underwater marine environment."
The habitat was named the No. 2 Best Zoo Exhibit in the U.S. by the Intrepid Traveler’s guide to “America’s Best Zoos."
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