Polar bear brothers in China zoo want mates

A polar-themed park in China has issued a global "marriage-seeking" bid for two polar bears in captivity.

The Harbin Polarland in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, announced the bid at a polar animal show on Valentine's Day on Friday.

Due to the lack of female polar bears in China, both bears remain without mates despite their relatively advanced ages.

The polar bears, though not brothers by blood, are named Tangji and Kede. When combined, their names read as the Chinese translation of "Don Quixote," the gentleman protagonist of the famous Spanish novel.

Their keeper said polar bears reach sexual maturity at the age of 5. However, the older bear is 10 years old, and the younger one is 9, making both "elder bachelors."

The bear brothers were wild bears imported from Russia in 2006.

There are few polar-themed parks in China, and fewer than 20 polar bears in captivity in the country, most of which are males.

The theme park has tried to extend its contacts with foreign zoos and international wild animal protection agencies in its search for mates.