Toronto Zoo criticized over polar bear cub naming flap

Watch the video above: Toronto Zoo comes under fire for suggested polar bear name. Carey Marsden reports. 

TORONTO – The Toronto Zoo is facing some heat over a contest to name a new polar bear cub due to one of the choices in its online competition.

“Searik”, one of six names the public can choose from, was criticized by the former Commissioner of Nunavut Pitta Irniq on his Facebook page last week.

“Toronto Zoo is apparently considering naming this new Polar Bear Cub “Searik” which means “Beautiful” in Inuktitut apparently,” he wrote.

Irniq, who also served as the Government of Nunavut’s deputy minister of culture and language, was perplexed about the choice.

“I don’t recognize the name Searik as Inuit word. Which Inuit dialect did this come from? In my dialect we say: “Iniqunaq-Beautiful” “Piujuq-Nice…..” or shorten version is “Piu” or “Niviurnaq-Cute.”

The complaint, which was reported by the website, Nunatsiaq Online, sparked a response from the Toronto Zoo promising to remove the meaning from the competition.

“The source used for the meaning of the name Searik was clearly not accurate and it was certainly never our intention to offend anyone,” said the Toronto Zoo’s Jennifer Tracey in an open letter to the online publication.

WATCH: Toronto Zoo’s polar bear cub takes first steps (Jan. 8)

The other five names in the contest are Humphrey, Orson, James, Lorek and Stirling.

Videos of the polar bear cub have received thousands of hits since being posted online by the zoo.

The contest to name the bear ends March 3, 2014 at noon.