Orphaned polar bear cub settles into his new home

Kali makes friends with his stuffed polar bear toy at Alaska Zoo Credit: JOHN GOMES/ALASKA ZOO

A polar bear cub is settling into its new home at Alaska zoo after his mother was shot by a hunter.

Alaska law allows native tribes who live on the north west coast of the country to hunt some polar bears.

Two weeks ago one of these local hunters killed the bear, thought to be three to four-months old only, to discover afterwards that she had a young cub.

The bear was bought to the small town of Point Lay to be cared for before he was flown to Anchorage and placed in the care of Alaska Zoo.

Footage courtesy John Gomes / Alaska Zoo

The bear cub has been named Kali which is the Inupiat name for the town of Point Lay. When he arrived at the zoo he only weighed 18.4 pounds (8.34 kg) but now weighs a healthy 31.5 pounds (14.29 kg).

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that Kali is to move soon to a new home at Buffalo Zoo in New York.

There he will be introduced to a female four-month-old bear called Luna. It is hoped that by allowing the two cubs to play together they won't become to close to humans and may one day be able to be released into the wild.