“And I need a little angel

Sitting on my shoulder,

Need a little Christmas now.”

            Jerry Herman

I feel those January blues setting in, the post-Christmas, post-New Year’s, where-the hell-is-my-life-going and what-will-the-New-Year-bring blues.  I don’t know about you, but I need a little joy right now, and I found it embodied in Siku, the baby polar bear. 

Siku means “sea ice” in the Greenlandic language.  Siku’s primary caretaker is director of the Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark, Frank Vigh-Larsen.

“Unfortunately, his mother had no milk, so we were left with two options—we could either leave him to die from starvation, or we could bottle rear him and turn him into an ambassador for his wild cousins living in the Arctic,” Vigh-Larsen said.

The Scandinavian Wildlife Park has the world's largest polar bear exhibit, spanning six acres, and is an Arctic Ambassador Center zoo.  The goal of these centers is to focus on the animals’ well-being and enrichment and provide leadership for carbon emission reduction in their communities.

During a Today Show appearance, Vigh-Larsen expressed his special New Year's wish on behalf of Siku. 

“Siku would like you all to reduce your carbon footprint and save energy.  And if you all do that, he would be very, very happy.”

Here is Siku in action:

Happy New Year, one and all!