Cute video of sleepy Toronto Zoo polar bear cub could rival 'Knutmania'

A cute video of a sleepy baby polar bear at the Toronto Zoo has hit the Internet, and while it hasn't gone viral just yet, we wouldn't be surprised if it did.

If it does, this unnamed youthful polar bear might just be on the room to fame, just as Knut, the German polar bear cub who took the world by storm after he was born in 2006 (Knut is pictured above).

Knut was born on Dec. 6, 2006. The above image is of Knut during his debut at the Berlin Zoo on March 23, 2007.

Interest in Knut eventually went wild, and globally wild, as well. It was eventually dubbed "Knutmania." Sadly, On March 19, 2011, Knut died, unexpectedly, at the age of four. His death was determined to have been caused by drowning, after the then grown bear collapsed into his enclosure's pool while suffering from encephalitis.

While this particular cub is unnamed, it absolutely has to be the three-month-old polar bear cub just introduced to the public at the Toronto Zoo earlier this month. The cub, along with two siblings, was born prematurely at the Toronto Zoo last year to one of the Zoo's ten year old female polar bears, Aurora.

The male cub is the only surviving cub from that litter. Aurora rejected the cubs soon after birth. This cub's two siblings died from inuuries sustained when they were rejected. This cub has been cared for since then by Toronto Zoo veterinarians and wildlife care staff. The zoo says the cub's eyes and ears finally opened at 30 days and he began teething at about 40 days.

The Zoo is looking for a name for the cub, and typically, is running a contest for the naming of the young cub. Zoo officials say the contest will run from now until March 16. The winning name will be announced on March 31.

John Tracogna, the CEO of the Toronto Zoo related the story of the brave, premature polar bear cub. He said,

"This has been an interesting and challenging case for the zoo and a valiant and dedicated team effort. Ultimately, it has been a rewarding journey for everyone involved, and we are happy to introduce an active and healthy polar bear cub, our new Arctic ambassador to help share our conservation message with our visitors."

You can watch the sleepy polar bear cub below. Details about the naming contest can be found at the Toronto Zoo website, here.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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