Pair of Winnipeg polar bears set to move to Calgary Zoo - Action News
Home WebMail Sunday, November 10, 2024, 10:59 PM | Calgary | 0.3°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Calgary

Pair of Winnipeg polar bears set to move to Calgary Zoo

Two orphaned polar bears are moving from a Winnipeg facility to the new Wild Canada zone at the Calgary Zoo/Wilder Institute.

Orphaned bears will live in new Wild Canada zone at Calgary Zoo/Wilder Institute

a mature polar bear is pictured with large rocks in the background with snow on the ground.
Baffin, a six-year-old male polar bear, is set to be moved from the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg to a new space at the Calgary Zoo/Wilder Institute later this year. (Assiniboine Park Zoo)

Two polar bears are moving from the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg to the Calgary Zoo/Wilder Institute.

The two male bears, Baffin and Siku, were orphaned at less than a year of age and found wandering in Churchill, Man.

Research has indicatedthat polar bear cubs less than a year old cannot survive on their own, so the decision was made to bring them into human care, the zoo said in a release.

Baffin is now six years old and Siku is seven.

an adult polar bear on a snowy ground stands on its hind legs and leans against a rock
Seven-year-old Siku is seen at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, where it has lived since being found orphaned near Churchill, Man. (Assiniboine Park Zoo)

They are scheduled to be moved later this year to Calgary, where officials believe they will thrive in a smaller group setting and receive more individual attention.

The bears will live in the Calgary zoo's newly reconstructed Wild Canada zone.

The habitat, set to open in December, includes tree-filled grassy meadows, rock features, several pools ranging in depth from three to five metres, a wading streamand an unobscured view of the horizon, the zoo said.

"Human-caused climate change is threatening polar bear habitat," said Jamie Dorgan, interim CEO of the Calgary Zoo/Wilder Institute.

"These rescued bears will receive exceptional care and continue to act as ambassadors for their wild counterparts, helping connect people to nature in ways that encourage them to take stronger action than ever before to protect wildlife and wild places."

With files from CBC News