Scene: The Polar Bear Cub Gets His Name Day

The polar bear cub learns his name is Humphrey, is still cute anyway.

By David Hains • Photos by Christopher Drost

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308903

Just your average midday wrestling session.

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308904

I'm a ferocious beast, and you should fear me.

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308905

Yeah, I showed that plastic pan who's boss.

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308911

Just walking through snow, as polar bear cubs do.

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308909

These kids probably want to tell me how cute I am and stuff, so I'll say hi.

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308907

Oh, are we saying bye now? Okay, bye!

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308908

We're doing a second goodbye now? Umm, that's really awkward.

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WHERE: Toronto Zoo

WHEN: Thursday, March 6, 12 p.m.

WHAT: “Humphrey” might conjure thoughts of hard-boiled actors and failed presidential candidates, but in a contest with 14,000 votes, it’s what the public named Toronto’s polar bear cub. Despite being only four months old, Humphrey is already too strong to have direct contact with handlers, so they play and train through fences and other safety measures. While he’s strong, he’s still getting used to his surroundings; when he plays outside and a truck rumbles by on the service road by his fence, he runs inside and hides in his bed. Click through the image gallery for a look at Humphrey’s cuteness, and at the video below to see the Toronto Zoo video of his name unveiling.