Kara the polar bear cub took her first steps outside her den since being born in November 2020.

She was born in Mulhouse Zoo in France, the second polar bear to be born at the park and the fifth in France.

Until now, the polar bear cub had remained in the den with her mother, without human contact, being monitored with cameras.

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Benoit Quintard, veterinarian and deputy director at the zoo, told AFP: "When a bear cub takes its first steps outside, there are new, little dangers. There is the discovery of the aquatic environment and we hold our breath ... when it falls for the first time in the pool – we check the time it takes to come to the surface, that it manages its first movements, that Sesi [Kara's mother] shows maternal behavior."

Kara's sibling, Nanuq, the first polar bear to be born at the zoo, was moved to a zoo in Munich, Germany, after showing signs of rivalry with Sesi. 

Video editor: Riaz Jugon