Quebec walruses coming to Vancouver Aquarium - Action News
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British Columbia

Quebec walruses coming to Vancouver Aquarium

Lakina and Balzak are believed to be first live full-term baby walruses to be born in captivity in Canada and could arrive in time for Christmas in Vancouver.

Lakina and Balzak believed to be first live full-term baby walruses to be born in captivity in Canada

A newborn baby walrus joins her mother, Arnaliaq, as the baby is introduced to the public at the provincial aquarium in Quebec City, Thursday, May 26, 2016. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

Two young walruses whose births sparked headlines lastyear will be moving from Quebec City to Vancouver.

The Aquarium du Quebec says Lakina and Balzak will be transferredto the Vancouver Aquarium in the coming weeks.

They were delivered days apart in the spring of 2016 and arebelieved to be the first live full-term baby walruses to be born incaptivity in Canada.

Experts says pregnancies among captive walruses are extremelyrare and only a handful of babies born in North America havesurvived past one year.

The Quebec aquarium says the move will make more room for its adult walruses.

Some people have posted concerns online, arguing that the young walruses are still nursing.

Officialssay they're still working out the details of the transfer,which could be completed before Christmas.

The introduction of new animals to the Vancouver Aquarium comes on the heels of a recentdeath of an animal there.

Last month, Chester, a false killer whale, which is a species of dolphin, died in captivity.

On Friday, the aquarium said the cause of his death was a bacterial infection.

As a precaution, the aquarium's last living cetacean, a Pacific white-sided dolphin named Helen, is being treated with antibiotics.

Right now, the Vancouver Aquarium does not have any walruses at its Stanley Park facility.

Two female Stellar sea lions in a new enclosure at the Vancouver Aquarium on July, 2017. (Vancouver Aquarium/Twitter)

With files from Canadian Press.