Magnet The Polar Bear Celebrates 22nd Birthday

One of the most popular animals at the Maryland Zoo celebrated a milestone Friday.

As Mike Schuh reports, in the wild, Magnet would be nearing the end of his lifespan, but not here in captivity.

When it's your birthday you get to do what you want. When you're a 1,500-pound polar bear, you get to do what you want.

Magnet, 22, wanted to take a nap.

"He just gets special treats because it's his day," said Tanya White, polar bear keeper.

Soon he would find out what a special day he had in store.

His keeper has been working all week, freezing a special "cake."

"It has fish and lard," said White.

Lard and dead fish are a treat Magnet loves.

"Did you hear what's in the cake? Delicious," said Reco Thomas, visitor.

Magnet is so popular people want to just look at him.

Though the "cake" may be repulsive to us puny humans, Magnet took to his cake. Hopefully Magnet will see many more birthdays.

Because of their breeding season, polar bears are born in the winter.