An orphaned polar bear cub from the Churchill, Man., area has arrived in Winnipeg, the Assiniboine Park Zoo says.
Conservation officers identified the northern Manitoba cub as a candidate for transfer to the zoo’s Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre under the Polar Bear Protection Act after its mother was found dead, the zoo said in a Friday news release.
Research has shown polar bear cubs orphaned in their first year of life can’t survive in the wild, the release said.
The conservation centre facility was established with provincial support to provide refuge to select polar bears.
In consultation with the province, members of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy’s polar bear rescue and care team sent equipment and resources to support the cub’s initial care needs in Churchill.
Veterinary staff then went north to assess the cub and oversee its transfer to Winnipeg. It arrived safely late Thursday evening, the news release said.
Rare instance of polar bear cub being adopted near Churchill verified by scientists
The bear will now get specialized care from veterinary professionals, animal care experts and conservation scientists.
It will undergo a quarantine period and stay behind the scenes, while veterinary and animal care teams assess its health and care needs.
In the meantime, the cub won’t be visible to zoo visitors.
The zoo is home to six other rescued polar bears: Storm, Nanuq, York, Kaska, Willow and Star.
Every rescued cub adapts to a zoo environment at its own pace, and the transition process is carefully managed to support animal comfort and welfare, the release said.
The last polar bear cubs transferred to the zoo arrived in 2017. The zoo said it will continue to share updates as the latest cub transitions to its new home.
