Winnipeg zoo's 2 polar bear cubs now have names: Nanuq and Siku

Winnipeg's newest polar bear cubs don't have to be called "those two" anymorenow that they officially have names Nanuq and Siku.

An online poll received close to 4,000 votes for each bear over the weekend and the results were tallied on Monday afternoon.

• Pesim or Nanuq? Weigh in on the names for Winnipeg zoo's polar bear cubs

The two choices for the female werePesim, the Cree word for moon, andNanuq, the Inuit word for polar bear. The choices for the male bear wereSiku, the Inuit word for ice, andKisik,the Cree word for sky.

The runaway winners were Nanuq and Siku, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy said on Thursday.

"We are so pleased with how many people voted for their favourite cub names," saidJohannaSoto,curator of animal care and behavioural husbandry.

"These cubs serve as ambassadors for polar bears living in the North whose habitat is threatened due to climate change. Involving the community in the naming process helps form that connection to the bears and inspire people to take positive actions in their own lives to combat climate change."

The name options for the female cub were submitted by children and staff at the Churchill Children's Centre. Names for the male cub were submitted by conservancy staff.

The two cubs are now on exhibit at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre in Assiniboine Park Zoo but they can't be viewed by the public today. The zoo is closed due to the storm, which is making snow clearing difficult, park staff said in a news release.

• Dangerous conditions hit Manitoba with blizzard, extreme cold warnings

But thing are expected to improve with daytime highs of 9 C and 5 C by Saturday and Sunday, and even milder temperatures next week.

"With warmer temperatures in this weekend's forecast, we encourage everyone to come out and visit the cubs," said Laura Curtis, manager of marketing and communications at APC.

When the cubs are a little older and bigger, they will be moved to thezoo's 10-acre Journey to Churchill exhibit, which is already home to seven other polar bears Storm, Aurora, Kaska, Blizzard, Star, York and Eli as well as other Arctic species in separate enclosures.

Assiniboine Park Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.