The Assiniboine Park Zoo has announced the names of the two polar bear cubs, as chosen by Winnipeg.

Two orphaned polar bear cubs, unrelated and brought to the zoo by Manitoba Sustainable Development, have been named after the Assiniboine Park Conservancy launched an online naming poll on Tuesday.

The poll collected 5,000 votes over the three-day span, and the clear winners were Baffin (male) and Willow (female).

"These two bears are from the Churchill area," said Allison Ginsburg, curator of animal care at Assiniboine Park Conservancy. "The most important thing that we are really focusing on for these animals is just getting adjusted and acclimated to all the different sights and sounds."

Willow and Baffin made their first public appearance Friday and will remain in the exhibit at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre for a few years as they get bigger.

A similar poll was conducted last year when two new polar bear cubs were named Nanuq (female) and Siku (male). Those two bears were recently moved into Journey to Churchill.