Russian bear cub moves to China

Polar bear cub Bering will leave the Leningrad Zoo on Friday, June 18, for Dalian (China), zoo supervisor Natalia Popova said.

"Bering will be taken to the airport in the morning. He will fly to Frankfurt and change there for Beijing. From the Chinese capital the cub will be taken to Dalian's zoo. All in all, the trip will take two days," Ms Popova said.

Bering will travel alone. "It will be examined at the veterinary station in Frankfurt. The bear will be given only water and no food on its way to China," the supervisor noted.

On Thursday Bering and his mother Uslada were served a farewell dinner: fruit and a sugar-free cake.

After Bering's departure, his mother and father who have not seen each other for two years will finally unite.

"We hope they will again have cubs in November," Natalia Popova noted.

Bering and his brothers Sedov and Malygin named after Russian polar explorers were born in the Leningrad Zoo in autumn 2002. In late April Sedov moved to Krasnoyarsk (Siberia) and Malygin - to Moscow zoos.

All in all, about 150 polar bears were born in the Leningrad Zoo. Many of them moved to Russian and foreign zoos. For instance, Uslada and Menshikov's kids live in the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Australia.