Cute Video Shows Philadelphia Zoo Bear Cubs Enjoying Their First Snow
We guess everyone loves playing in the snow! Video of two bear cub twins from the Philadelphia Zoo playing in the cold has gone viral, after the city received its first snowfall in nearly two years. And let's just say these two siblings are unbearably adorable.
The two cubs, Kelce and Harper, are named after Philadelphia sports legends Jason Kecle and Bryce Harper.
Everyone loves a snow day. Of course this means days off from school and getting up early to shovel your sidewalk for us humans. But that doesn't mean that Harper and Kelce didn't get into their own mess of trouble.
Related: Snow Leopard Cubs Enjoying an Ice Bath Are Too Cute To Miss
The adorable footage from 6 ABC Action News, shows the two bears energetically frolicking around their enclosure. Just look at how they kick the fluff up around them as they run! Like any siblings, there was of course a little taunting between the two — the bear equivalent of getting in a snowball fight we guess. But don't worry, we think that these two were just messing around.
The Cubs Arrived in Early January
Fox 29 reports the twins were born last January, during the regions longest recorded snow draught. But that has changed this year when the city got a whopping 5.9 inches of the white fluffy stuff.
Harper and Kecle are what's known as Sloth Bear cubs. But don't get the wrong impression — these guys are neither slow moving nor are they related to sloths. They're actually quite agile and were named by European zoologist George Shaw for their long, thick claws and unusual teeth. Shaw mistakenly thought the bears were related to sloths because of these features, but that was later proven to not be true. However the name stuck.
The twin bears received their names after the zoo held a naming contest to decide their monikers. Their parents are 10-year- old Sloth Bears Kayla and Bhalu. After their birth on January 2, 2023, the two cubs stayed close to their mama. “These rambunctious toddlers are sure to steal the hearts of many of our guests. We can’t wait to celebrate all the developmental milestones to come with our guests, members, staff, volunteers and entire Zoo community.” Curator of Carnivores and Ungulates Maggie Morse, told PHL 17.
Sloth bears are a threatened population, making their births a huge milestone for more reasons than one.
“Their birth is incredibly important to the protection of this species and we are excited for guests to come to the Zoo and see for themselves what amazing animals they are," Vice President of Animal Well-Being Rachel Metz added.
It's good to see that at a little over a year old, these two are positively thriving. We guess you could say they take playtime beary seriously.
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