Polar bear died from drowning, Calgary zoo officials say
The necropsy result on Baffin, the polar bear who died at the Calgary Zoo, reveals he died after sustaining an injury and then drowning after playing with his zoo mate. Rayn Rashid finds out the details.
Posted July 23, 2024 7:25 am.
A polar bear that died at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo last week drowned, zoo officials said Tuesday.
On Friday, the zoo closed its Wild Canada Zone after seven-year-old Baffin didn’t reappear after going underwater.
It’s now believed Baffin’s trachea was crushed by his mate Siku during rough play, when he lost consciousness underwater and didn’t come back up.
The care team confirmed Baffin dead in the pool.
There were a number of spectators around at the time of the incident.
Baffin and Siku came to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in October from Manitoba’s Assiniboine Park Zoo as part of an $11 million expansion to the Wild Canada Zone.
This is a developing story.
-With files from Michael Ranger
