KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
Growling, huffing, grunting and dancing, the Kansas City Zoo's polar bears went nose to nose and paw to paw Wednesday.
The "Howdy" sessions between Nikita and Berlin have been so calm and uneventful that they were put together at the Polar Bear Passage public exhibit for the first time.
Nikita and Berlin now share their exhibit, but it is unknown if the 1,500 pounds of big, white, strong, independent and beautiful bears will find their "love connection." Nikita seems a bit taken back by Berlin.
The two are under the close watch of their zookeepers, veterinarians and other trained staff inside the public exhibit.
"All interactions were as expected – sniffing, huffing, grunting and a bit of polar bear dancing," Kansas City Zoo spokeswoman Julie Neemeyer said. "Again, Berlin's laid-back personality combined with young Nikita's teenage attitude created a good balance."
If the connection between Nikita and Berlin continues to go seamlessly, they will be on exhibit together from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. daily at the zoo.
Both bears had a visual connection over the past couple of weeks and were then placed side- by-side but still separated.
When all staff was in agreement, the division between the bears was eliminated.
After their initial posturing, they retreated to their own corners of the exhibit. Nikita has been hanging out in the sandy section. Berlin had some treats in the pool area and apparently became concerned that her new beau would steal them. Berlin then dragged the treats to the behind-the-scenes area where she is now hanging out and hoarding them.
Berlin is free to come and go in the exhibit just like Nikita is. Nikita likes to sleep in the exhibit at night, preferring the sandy pit area.
Nikita is six years old. Berlin turned 23 on Dec. 11, which is about when she moved from Minnesota to her new home in Kansas City.
You can watch Nikita on KCTV5's Sonic polar bear cam at www.kctv5.com/nikita.
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The Kansas City Zoo's two big white polar bears have met nose to nose, eye to eye and paw to paw. (Photo courtesy: Kansas City Zoo)
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