Second polar bear orphan at Winnipeg zoo; late freeze-up causing problems

WINNIPEG — The Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg has taken in a second orphaned polar bear cub that was seen wandering alone in the Churchill area.

Another orphan was flown to the zoo’s polar bear conservancy centre from northern Manitoba in late November.

Conservation head Stephen Petersen says the formation of sea ice on Hudson Bay was very late this year, which has put enormous pressure on Churchill’s polar bears.

The latest cub, a male, is about one year old and weighs just 39 kilograms — the lightest orphan the polar bear centre has received.

Wildlife officers tried to hook up the young bear with females in the area as cubs need to stay with their mothers for at least one winter to learn how to hunt.

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But that didn’t work and it became clear the cub could not survive on its own.

The zoo says the cub arrived on Friday and has adjusted well to his new surroundings.

“We are always here to help but can’t forget that this is a reminder to all of us about the close tie between sea ice and polar bears,” Petersen said in a release.

“The loss of sea ice due to climate change is alarming and it is critical that we work together as a community to reduce our carbon foot print and take personal actions to positively impact the environment, not only for polar bears but for all wildlife.”

The cub will undergo the standard 30 days of quarantine before joining the zoo’s eight other bears.

The Canadian Press