A new home has been found for an orphaned pair of Yukon black bear cubs.
Environment Yukon announced this morning that the two cubs will be moving to a permanent home at the Calgary Zoo.
In July, conservation officers killed the cubs’ mother after she started eating from unsecured garbage bins in Whitehorse and was considered a threat to public safety.
The bears will be flown to Calgary and will go into quarantine when they first arrive. It’s unclear when the bears will be leaving the Yukon.
“We are so pleased to be able to welcome these two cubs to the Calgary Zoo,” zoo curator Jamie Dorgan said in a statement.
“As young black bears are social in their first few years of life, we are delighted to have found companions for our lone bear Manuka and are optimistic introductions will be successful. Together, these three will be able to educate our visitors about the dangers of bears becoming habituated to humans.”
The cubs had been staying temporarily at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.
“The Department of Environment values the extra effort made by staff at the preserve to house and care for the cubs,” said Environment Minister Currie Dixon.
“This falls outside their mandate of offering unparalleled wildlife viewing and photo opportunities, yet it was done thoughtfully and well.”
The Calgary Zoo is western Canada’s largest zoo and is accredited by the American and Canadian zoo associations. It’s home to more than 120 species. One-third of those are considered endangered or at-risk.
(Ashley Joannou)