Perfect mother Gerda shows her new female cub around her world

Gerda gave birth in December to the new cub, and Novosibirsk Zoo has recently confirmed her baby is female. Now more than four months old, the little one spends more and more time outside, exploring her enclosure, but always under the watchful eye of her mother. 

Novosibirsk photographer Olesya Filippova, said: 'When I came to the cage I was disappointed, because they were in the den. But I decided to wait. The mother and baby came out only after two hours, when their lunch was brought. 

'After the meal they went on an afternoon walk. People gathered around the enclosure immediately, and every moment I heard the people say: 'Oh, how cute'. I was watching them through the lens for two hours, and the time flew past.

'You can stay endlessly near their enclosure, the cub is unaffected, just like any child. Her clumsiness is so touching, and she roars in such a funny way. Gerda is the great mother. Very caring, gentle, sometimes strict. 

'If the baby can not do something she gently pushes her with the paw. First she feeds the baby, and then eats herself. She is very wise to give the baby the freedom and the opportunity to inspect their possessions by herself, but she is always alert, constantly watching her. Gerda is a very good mother, I am more than sure that if some other bear cub was to be given to her, she would just take care of it with the same love.'

Another local photographer, Denis Shumakov, explained: 'I came to the zoo at about noon, to avoid a big crowd of visitors, but at this time Gerda and her cub were already surrounded with people. 

'I was lucky, I got there just when mother and baby started to play. It is a pure pleasure to watch them, even a mope will smile. Sometimes I had to run around the enclosure to find the right spot for shooting. Time passed very quickly. I spent there more then an hour but it seemed that I'd just arrived.'

The two sets of pictures show the beauty of these wild animals. But Denis said: 'Of course, it is better to see them with your own eyes. The photographs will never give you the same feeling.'