Polar bear tragedy at Canadian zoo after playtime between two predators goes horribly wrong
An orphaned young polar bear has tragically died during a playful fight with his adopted brother at the Calgary Zoo.
Baffin, a seven-year-old bear, was fighting with eight-year-old Siku in his enclosure when staff suddenly noticed he was nowhere to be seen.
After a few minutes of investigation, they found him dead in the lower basin of the enclosure.
Autopsy results revealed that Baffin suffered a crushed trachea, causing him to drown.
The results also confirmed that the bear was in ‘excellent physical condition and there was no evidence of heat-related stress (hyperthermia)’.
Baffin, a seven-year-old polar bear, has tragically died during a playful fight with his adopted brother at the Calgary Zoo
Jamie Dorgan, Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer of the Zoo said: ‘Baffin was not seen for a few minutes… shortly after we were able to get Baffin out of the pool.
‘Baffin passed away in the pool… It is obviously a huge shock to our staff and volunteers to hear today of this incredibly surprising situation.’
The director added that the zoo is doing everything it can to support the staff and volunteers affected by the sudden death.
“Our zookeepers have a very close bond with these animals. They are like family to them. Most people spend more time with their animals than with their own families.
The autopsy results confirmed that Baffin suffered a crush injury to his trachea, causing him to drown.
The results also confirmed that the bear was in ‘excellent physical condition and there was no evidence of heat-related stress (hyperthermia)’
“These polar bears are a fantastic addition and we were so happy to be able to offer them a wonderful home. Considering everything looked normal from the outside, this is very, very shocking, as is any sudden death in a family,” he assured bystanders.
The bears were orphaned as cubs before being spotted by wildlife officials wandering near Churchill, Manitoba.
Because they were so young, they were transferred to the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, where they lived with seven other polar bears.
After six years, the pair moved to Calgary last October, making them the first polar bears at the zoo since 1999.
The bears were orphaned as cubs before being spotted by wildlife officials wandering near Churchill, Manitoba
After six years, the duo were moved to Calgary last October, making them the first polar bears at the zoo since 1999.
Colleen Baird, Director of Animal Care, Health and Welfare at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, noted, “Baffin and Siku shared a long history as partners in their habitat and had a camaraderie, which is why they were chosen to come to Calgary from Assiniboine Park Zoo.
‘They showed a lot of natural polar bear behavior, including playing in and out of the water on a daily basis.
“The type and intensity of play on the day of the incident did not appear to differ from the type of play their caregivers saw on a daily basis.”
Siku is currently being closely monitored by the zoo’s Animal Care, Health and Welfare team.