Umka loves to swim and dive

20.6.2026 – Photos by Arkadi Laptenko and Novosibirsk Zoo

Just like all kids Umka is an early bird – or maybe it’s better to say he’s an early bear. And just like all mothers of small kids Gerda isn’t allowed to have ‘long sleeps’ in the morning. – There’s interesting information in the end of this article!

Good morning, mama! It’s time to wake up!

OK, my dear child. Let me check that your ears are clean!

Mama, I need a ladder! I want to be sure the wall is OK!

Well, I guess my back can serve as a ladder.

Oh bear, what a big ball that is!

I wonder if I can touch it ….

I think I have a nose contact first. When I’m bigger I will let the ball feel my paws, hahahaa! 🙂

Mama, I can see a fish that looks like a polar bear!

This was the day when Umka decided to follow his mama even to the water.

Oh, this is really nice and refreshing!

From now on I’m going to spend a lot of time in the wet element – that’s for sure!

Mama, I had no idea that swimming was so fun.

Dear friends! That’s all from Novosibirsk this time but, please, stay tuned – the polar bears in Novosibirsk will be back soon.

Finally some interesting news from the Novosibirsk Zoo!

Kai and Gerda will give up their house with a pool to the walruses and move to a new complex.

The new “Arktika” complex is scheduled to be built over the next few years at the Novosibirsk Zoo. The famous pair of polar bears, Kai and Gerda, as well as snowy owls, wolves, and arctic foxes, will move there. Andrei Shilo, director of the Novosibirsk Zoo, announced this during a live broadcast on “Novosibirsk News.”

The new “North Pole” complex, which is planned for construction on the grounds of the Novosibirsk Zoo, is a vast polar exhibit and a large ecosystem featuring polar bears, arctic foxes, snowy owls, white wolves, and several other inhabitants of the Far North. The zoo’s management plans to repurpose the existing polar bear enclosure with its pools into a “walrus enclosure,” as was originally intended when it was built in the 1990s.

“With the support of the government, the city administration, and Rosneft, we plan to relocate the Arctic animals to a new, modern enclosure. And where Kai and Gerda currently live, walruses will take up residence,” Andrei Shilo shared.

The large “Arktika” complex will be equipped with underwater glass so that visitors can watch polar bears playing in the water. In addition, the bear pool in the new complex will be heated and feature waves and water currents. “We’re starting construction now, but everything will depend on funding and support. I think we’ll finish construction by 2027–2028,” said the director of the Novosibirsk Zoo.

Mervi’s note: I hope there will be space enough for even Belka, Strelka and Umka!