Twins Skadi and Kaja were born in 2021, and until now had been living with their mother. Their first steps in their new home were cautious, as is typical when embarking on a new chapter of independence.

"They're still youngsters — at a good young age," noted Aleksandr Semjonov, the zoo's chief veterinarian. "A polar bear's lifespan can be 30 to even 32 years."

Skadi resembles their mother Sizzel in both appearance and personality, and is more playful, while Kaja takes after their father and is more reserved.

Sarah Drefien, a polar bear caretaker at Rostock Zoo, accompanied the sisters on their journey to the Estonian capital, and remained in town to help them adjust during their first few days at Tallinn Zoo.

She said you can tell the difference between the twins if you know Kaja is larger and Skadi has a small beard under her chin.

Leaving the bears behind will be difficult for Drefien.

"It's very hard to say goodbye to both of them," she admitted. "I worked with them for two years, and have known them since they were tiny. They've grown big, but despite that, they're still adorable, and it's really sad to part with them."

Polar bears are transported from one zoo to another, in search of the best conditions for them — and also potential mates. Estonia's climate suits them well.

Tallinn now has four polar bears, with Skadi and Kaja joining sisters Inuk and Imaq, who arrived from Aalborg Zoo in Denmark late last year.

"We're raising them here, but all four of them won't be staying here," Semjonov explained. "The coordinator will likely choose one female to remain in Tallinn, and then start looking for a mate for her."

Friida, the polar bear who recently moved to the Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark, had her name chosen in a public contest when she was born at Tallinn Zoo.

No such contest was held for the polar bear twins in Rostock, where no one could have predicted that a polar bear named Kaja would one day live in Estonia, sharing a name with the country's former prime minister.  

"That's a coincidence!" Drefien confirmed. "But still fitting."

Fans of Estonia's former polar bear residents can visit both Friida and Rasputin in Denmark — the former at the Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Djursland and Rasputin at Aalborg Zoo.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!