The sisters, born at Rostock Zoo, Germany, in November 2021, had previously lived with their mother, Sizzel. In the wild, polar bears typically leave their mothers around the age of two to three years. Their journey to Estonia was carefully planned, with both bears transported in facing crates to maintain visual contact throughout the trip.

Skadi and Kaja now reside in the enclosure previously occupied by Friida, a long-term resident of Tallinn Zoo for 23 years, who has been transferred to Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark. Their arrival increases the zoo’s polar bear population to four young females, joining Inuk and Imaq, who arrived last November.

The move is part of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP), which coordinates conservation efforts among European zoos to protect endangered species, including polar bears.