17:35 GMT, 9 June 2012 The Daily Mail
Two tourists were caught by surprise at Rotterdam Zoo when a polar bear threw a large rock
at the thick glass separating the animal's enclosure from the pair causing it to crack and nearly
shatter. The two visitors were captured on film admiring the polar bear swimming around through
the pane of glass when the rock appears out of nowhere.
Luckily, the pane of glass separating the visitors from their swimming pool was strong enough
not to shatter.
The polar bear, named Vicks, is known among the staff at the Dutch zoo for playing with rocks
and have said that they doubt it was a desperate bid for freedom, but rather an unfortunate accident
which happened while Vicks was playing.
It may have been a stunt by Vicks to get back into the limelight. When he was born in December 2010
he became a national celebrity as 420,000 people watched the early months of his life on a webcam feed
in his darkened maternity den.
He got his unusual name after the company, which produces cold and flu medicine, adopted him as a cub.
The arctic beast has been relocated to a different pen while the glass is repaired.
Staff at Rotterdam have assured visitors that it will be completely safe to visit the polar bear enclosure
once the pane is replaced.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vM9gklzCQBQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Two tourists were caught by surprise at Rotterdam Zoo when a polar bear threw a large rock
at the thick glass separating the animal's enclosure from the pair causing it to crack and nearly
shatter. The two visitors were captured on film admiring the polar bear swimming around through
the pane of glass when the rock appears out of nowhere.
Luckily, the pane of glass separating the visitors from their swimming pool was strong enough
not to shatter.
The polar bear, named Vicks, is known among the staff at the Dutch zoo for playing with rocks
and have said that they doubt it was a desperate bid for freedom, but rather an unfortunate accident
which happened while Vicks was playing.
It may have been a stunt by Vicks to get back into the limelight. When he was born in December 2010
he became a national celebrity as 420,000 people watched the early months of his life on a webcam feed
in his darkened maternity den.
He got his unusual name after the company, which produces cold and flu medicine, adopted him as a cub.
The arctic beast has been relocated to a different pen while the glass is repaired.
Staff at Rotterdam have assured visitors that it will be completely safe to visit the polar bear enclosure
once the pane is replaced.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vM9gklzCQBQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
