Bjoerk the bear and her two cubs, 18 February (photo: Bern Bear Park)

Update 26 February, link added  Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Lausanne newspaper 24 Heures called it one of Switzerland’s best-guarded secrets, proving that it isn’t only bank accounts the Swiss are quiet about: Finn, one of Bern’s two much-loved zoo bears who was shot by a policeman in November when he attacked an intruder, became a father in December. The news came out only this week. Bjoerk, the mother, surprised everyone by not just hibernating but giving birth to two cubs at the Bern Bear Park, which is one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist attractions.

Finn, the father will remain alone in his part of the park, say zoo authorities. “Male bears have no fatherly feelings – he would just kill the cubs.”

The cubs have been named Urs and Berna.

They weigh 350 grams and are 30 cm long. Brown bear cubs are born bald and blind, and they generally spend two seasons with their mother, so females give birth only once every three years at most. Brown bears like Bjoerk have a gestation period of 195-225 days.

Background on Bern’s bears, GenevaLunch and on brown bears, National Geographic.

New link: swissinfo on the bears’ names

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