Necropsy Confirms Polar Bear Tragically Died Following Rough Play

Summary:

Calgary, Alberta, CANADA – Necropsy results of Friday’s polar bear death just released by the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo confirm that 7-year-old male polar bear ‘Baffin’ died by drowning, following a crushing injury to his trachea by 8-year-old male polar bear, ‘Siku’, sustained during rough play. It is presumed that Baffin lost consciousness underwater due to the tracheal injury and subsequently drowned. The necropsy also confirmed that Baffin was in excellent physical condition and there was no evidence of heat-related stress (hyperthermia).

Baffin was rescued as an orphaned cub when he was less than a year old and brought to the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at Assiniboine Park Zoo (APZ) in December 2017. He was eventually introduced to the other polar bears at APZ and lived in APZ’s Journey to Churchill habitat until last fall, when he and Siku, who was rescued as an orphaned cub in 2016, were transferred to the Taylor Family Foundation Polar Bear Sanctuary.

Baffin and Siku were long-term enclosure mates prior to the incident.

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