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When the Schönbrunn Zoo announced the happy news of the new polar bear cubs in November last year, Vienna's mayor and governor Michael Ludwig was one of the first to congratulate the zoo on its Facebook page. Today he took over the sponsorship of the cute polar bear girl Finja. "Polar bears have become a symbol of climate change. The greatest threat is global warming. In their homeland, the Arctic, the ice is melting beneath their paws," said Mayor Michael Ludwig. "With my sponsorship of the polar bear girl Finja, I would also like to send a signal to remind people of the great importance and urgency of climate protection." Zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck presented the mayor with the sponsorship certificate and a beautifully framed photo of Finja for his desk in the town hall. On the tip of the zookeeper team, Ludwig also had a tasty gift for Finja and her mother Nora: a basket full of lettuce and crisp carrots from the Vienna Market Office. Together with a block of ice with mackerel, this made a tasty surprise for this special occasion. "Finja still drinks mainly mother's milk, but she is already learning about food through play. She likes to nibble on lettuce and carrots. In about two months, when Finja is six months old, she will actually start eating her mother's food," explains zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. He thanks the mayor for the zoo's valuable support and welcomes him to the zoo's sponsor family of over 400 animal sponsors. Ludwig: "Combating global climate change is the challenge of our time. This can only be done through international cooperation. We in Vienna have been working on our consistent climate protection program for more than 20 years. We have already been able to reduce CO2 emissions by 34 percent compared to 1990. By 2050, we will reduce CO2 emissions per capita by 85 percent. We are doing our part to ensure the continued existence of these wonderful animals.” He praised the zoo: “The Schönbrunn Zoo is not only the oldest zoo in the world, but also one of the most modern, and is considered a model worldwide. Finja, her parents Nora and Ranzo and the many, many other zoo residents clearly feel at home here. And of course I would like to once again congratulate the entire team – from the zookeepers to the director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck – on their new offspring.” #polarbear #finja #sponsorship