Unbearably cute: Durrell release new pics of Raymi

Saturday 03 September 2016

Durrell have posted new pictures of their Andean bear cub, Raymi and his mother Bahia.

Taken by their keeper, Leila, the pictures show the mother and son licking each other affectionately and Raymi playing in his enclosure.

Raymi is a little bigger than when he was last snapped, weighing in at around 20kg (which is a third of his mother’s weight). 

Alongside the photos, which Durrell released on their Facebook page, it reads: “We absolutely love these images of our Andean bear mother and son, taken by their keeper, Leila.”

It also says that Raymi “can regularly be seen climbing right to the top of the tallest tree in their enclosure.”

Born on the 3^rd January of this year, Raymi is the first Andean bear cub to be born at Durrell in over 20 years. 

He was christened Raymi which is the Quechua word for “celebration”, which was the winning suggestion of 200 in a public competition to name the new arrival.

The name “Raymi” was chosen by two entrants to Durrell’s competition – Azlanna Coote from St Lawrence, and another entrant from Australia.

Picture credit: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust