This is the romantic moment a giant polar bear on a “special mission” gets frisky his with female friend.
Nuka, a 10ft tall male bear, arrived at Detroit Zoo in December in the hope he could breed with Talini, the zoo’s female polar bear.
And the seven-year-old beast, who weighs 890-pounds, has struck up a relationship with Talini, who is one of just 11 females in the USA available for breeding.
Polar bear mating season lasts from March until June with the two giant animals enjoying plenty of water-based fun.
If Talini becomes pregnant, there is an eight-month gestation cycle which includes a period of delayed implantation ensuring cubs are born during the best time of the year for survival in the wild.
The romantic tryst was captured by Kellyann Berg, 42, a software trainer from just outside Detroit.
She said: “All day long they take turns playing in the water or sleeping in the sun.
“They are so much fun to watch and everyone is keeping their fingers crossed for some polar bear cubs soon. They seem to be very much in love.”
Scott Carter, chief sciences officer at the zoo, added: “There are no guarantees, but we’re optimistic that Talini and Nuka will be compatible and Detroit Zoo visitors will be seeing a polar bear cub in 2013.”
There are four polar bears at Detroit Zoo, with Talini’s 27-year-old mother Bärle and 19-year-old male, Aquila making up the group.
Polar Bears normally live to between 15 and 18 in the wild but can reach their thirties in captivity.
It is thought there are just 25,000 left in the wild with the species considered “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
