Necropsy Confirms Polar Bear Death Was Tragic Accident During Rough Play

23 JULY 2024 (Calgary, AB) – Necropsy results of Friday’s polar bear death were released by the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo earlier today.

A necropsy completed by an independent wildlife pathologist, in conjunction with the zoo’s Animal Health team, confirmed 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).

“Although the necropsy results are conclusive about the cause of Baffin’s death, they offer little solace to our team that loved Baffin so deeply”, said Colleen Baird, Director of Animal Care, Health & Welfare at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.

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 shared a long history as longtime habitat mates and enjoyed a companionate relationship, which is why they were chosen to come to Calgary from Assiniboine Park Zoo. They displayed many natural polar bear behaviours, including playing daily in and out of the water.  The type and intensity of play on the day of the incident appeared to be no different than the type of play their caregivers witnessed from them on a daily basis,” said Baird.

Zoo staff and volunteers are deeply saddened by Baffin’s tragic accident. Siku is being closely monitored by the zoo’s Animal Care, Health & Welfare team.

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For more information contact:

Alison Archambault
Director, Brand & Engagement
403.232.7766 | 403.919.9482 | mediarelations@calgaryzoo.com

For more than 30 years, the internationally accredited Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has been a leading authority in wildlife conservation, reintroducing threatened species to the wild and empowering communities to conserve natural resources to positively impact both the environment and local inhabitants.

While our work is global, our roots run deep in the Albertan conservation community. Sitting on 125 acres in the heart of the city, we operate one of the oldest charities in Alberta, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo – a not-for-profit charitable wildlife conservation organization that works to fight the extinction of plants and animals worldwide. In addition to the zoo, we proudly operate the Archibald Biodiversity Centre (ABC), Canada’s largest conservation breeding and research facility. Nestled on 330 acres in the Albertan prairies, the ABC is a stronghold for biodiversity and a temporary home to some of Canada’s most iconic species-at-risk.

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is passionate about inspiring and educating generations of visitors about the importance of biodiversity and conservation. Together, we will continue to be a force of nature for making the world a wilder place. Learn more at WilderInstitute.org and CalgaryZoo.com.