Earlier this fall, polar bears Baffin and Siku moved from the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg to a new home at the Calgary Zoo.
Siku came to our Zoo in December 2016, after being identified as an orphaned cub in the Churchill area. After several failed attempts to connect him with other female bears in the area, it was clear that intervention was needed. He was approximately one year old and weighed just 39kg (85 lbs).
Siku (or ‘Sikubear’ to his caregivers), was the smallest orphaned cub that ever came to our Zoo and is known to our care team as “mini Storm” as they bear similar markings and small features. Siku loves to swim with the other bears and enjoyed a pool party with Storm on his last morning with the other bears here at Assiniboine Park Zoo. He throws toys and enrichment into the pool for himself when no other bears are around for playtime. He loves to watch the seals and Zoo visitors from our Gateway to the Arctic tunnel and loves swimming around for produce in the pool.
Siku (or ‘Sikubear’ to his caregivers)
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Baffin (or ‘Big Baff’ to his caregivers)
Baffin came to the Assiniboine Park Zoo in December 2017, along with a female bear, Willow, after the two were identified as orphaned cubs in the Churchill area.
Baffin (or ‘Big Baff’ to his caregivers), is a gentle giant. He grew up with Willow, who despite being half his size, bossed him around like a big sister. Baffin was our messiest eater, always leaving behind tons of crumbs and fish heads. He had strong relationships with the other bears and was often seen cuddled up with them, spending time with Nanuq, and either swimming or resting with Siku. Baffin is a strong, enthusiastic learner and worked on many different positive reinforcement training behaviours with our animal care team. He also participated in voluntary hair pulls as part of a polar bear hair study with our Conservation and Research team.
We always knew that one day our polar bears could be transferred to another facility. A lot of thought and care was put into determining the best pair of bears to make this move. These bears were chosen based on the observed bear dynamics from our Animal Care Team here at the Zoo. Baffin and Siku have a very strong bond and the pair has settled in well.
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Before their big move, we were in constant communication with Calgary Zoo as they were building the bears' new habitat and preparing their team to welcome the bears.
The Calgary Zoo’s polar bear habitat was constructed in consultation with industry professionals and polar bear care experts from our Zoo. The result is an extraordinary polar bear habitat that meets and exceeds the Manitoba Standard, a set of requirements for housing bears anywhere in North America. It includes expansive tree-filled grassy meadows, rock features, several pools ranging in depth from three to five metres, a wading stream, and an unobscured view of the horizon.
We also welcomed members of the Calgary Zoo animal care team to Winnipeg in the weeks before the bears' departure to learn the ropes with Baffin and Siku.
Their team members spent time with our animal care team and participated in the bear care and positive reinforcement training sessions, helping the bears practice skills like presenting their shoulders, paws, and teeth for veterinary checks.
Baffin and Siku’s new caregivers learnt their current training cues, diets and preferences, and spent valuable time building new bonds with the bears.
These days together in Winnipeg set everyone up for a successful, smooth move to Calgary.
Baffin and Siku arrived safely at their new home, along with an Animal Care team member from both our Zoo and Calgary Zoo. The two bears are settling in well and are spending time exploring their new home in the new Wild Canada habitat. They had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the space and begin to build trust with their new dedicated care team before the space opened to the public on December 1.
It has been a privilege to care for Baffin and Siku here in Winnipeg. During their time here, each has acted as an ambassador for their species, helping to educate the public about polar bears and their changing Arctic habitat. We are happy to know they are enjoying their wonderful new home in Calgary where they will continue to share the story of Churchill, the Arctic, and Manitoba bears.
If you’re ever visiting the Calgary Zoo, make sure to stop by the Zoo to say hello to these boys!
