Latest news with #AssiniboineParkConservancy
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dog owner describes 'unnerving' encounter with aggressive deer in Winnipeg neighbourhood
A moment of fascination turned into discomfort and fear for a Winnipeg dog owner who encountered a deer Thursday. "At first it seems like it's really kind of this magical moment, this really interesting animal that we're making a connection with," Marlowe Hiebert told CBC News. "Then the next thing the deer gets aggressive. It's like, 'OK, this script is going off.'" Hiebert and his eight-year-old Sheltie dog, Macy, were walking down Browning Boulevard in the city's Westwood neighbourhood on Thursday morning when a deer darted out from in front of a group of parked cars. The deer came to a full stop almost two metres from them and locked eyes with Macy, before it started to stomp its hooves aggressively, Hiebert said. Hiebert and Macy began walking up the sidewalk, trying to get away for their own safety, but the deer tagged along, following them down the front lawns. "This little girl would probably be really hurt if a deer would attack," Hiebert said, referring to his dog. Left to their own, with no one else around to distract the deer, Hiebert stopped and stomped his own feet, trying to give the deer an aggressive posture, but the animal didn't flinch. "It wasn't until we came past pine trees and got some visual break between us that she did let us go," Hiebert said. It's not unusual to see a deer coming through the neighbourhood, Hiebert said. During the winter he has seen up to four deer laying under a pine tree on his front lawn. "They don't seem that big when you're standing near them," he said. "But you begin to look at the length of those legs and the speed with which they could likely move them. "It was a little unnerving to have an animal like that be that aggressive." A spokesperson for the province said they received several reports about the deer aggressively defending its fawn in the area, but there have been no reports of the animal making contact with residents. The protective behaviour of the deer is expected to be short-lived, lasting a few weeks until the fawn can move on its own, the spokesperson said. Relocation will only be used as a last resort, the province said, given it can cause stress to the deer and the fawn. In the meantime, warning signs have been installed by the province, and the public is urged to be cautious and avoid the area or use an alternate route. Deer sightings on the rise Wildlife encounters like this are very rare, only happening once every year or two, the province said. But Winnipeg is not isolated from having wildlife, especially when considering the city's design, said Barret Miller, manager of education and programming at Assiniboine Park Conservancy. Developments around the city are being built to co-exist with forested areas in open grasslands that sit along river streams, he said, making Winnipeg an ideal habitat for whitetail deer. "It's no longer just open yards and big houses, it's now a mix of shrubs, trees," he said. "It's not necessarily that the numbers are increasing. We're just seeing them more widespread across the city." Any animal species, regardless of how docile it might seem to be, can be aggressive, Miller said. Deer have tight and muscled legs designed to help them jump, but they can also be used to kick, Miller said. The same amount of force they use to jump three metres in the air can be used to kick. That's the reason Miller said it's best to be at least five to 10 metres away from a deer while keeping a smaller posture and making as little noise as possible. But if the deer starts "taking an unhealthy interest in you" and it is becoming a rather unsafe situation, he recommended to be large, loud and back away. "Just talk to that animal in a very deep, bassy voice. Puff up your shoulders, pull the dog in on the leash and skirt around that animal," said Miller. It is also important not to approach the fawn when the deer isn't around. People might think the animal has been abandoned, but the fawn was, in most cases, only left behind while its mother looked for something to feed it, Miller said. "Give them the space to be the mom they need to be, and they're going to give us the space we need to be human, and we'll get along," he said.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo welcomes family of 5 grey wolves from Vancouver
Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg is inviting guests to connect with and meet a new family of five grey wolves that it welcomed from the Greater Vancouver Zoo on Thursday. The pack includes the parents, seven-year-old Chinook and Gigi, and their three offspring — Comet, who is male, and Stella and Virgo, who are female — curator Shane Pratt told CBC News on Friday. The pups are three years old. "This is really big. They're very interactive animals," Pratt said. "We really like having people connect with our animals and inspire people to conserve," as well as "learn about how important they are for ecosystems," he said. The family's arrival follows the death of Bear, 14, in March, the last grey wolf in the zoo's original pack, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy said in a Friday press release. "Grey wolves are an iconic Canadian species that can be found across the country, including right here in Manitoba," Dr. Chris Enright, senior director of zoological operations, said in the release. "Unfortunately, fear and misunderstanding have led to instances of human-wolf conflict and, in some cases, over-hunting," he said. "Educating people about the critical role keystone species like wolves play in their ecosystems and why they should be protected is an important part of what we do here at the zoo." So far, the new pack appears to be adapting fairly well into their expansive boreal forest and grasslands habitat, Pratt said, with Gigi being the first to come out and showing the most confidence. Due to the ongoing wildfire situation, Pratt says they're keeping a close eye on air quality statements, especially for those animals with the most sensitive lungs, such as birds. The zoo has policies and protocols in place to help move animals into a cleaner air environment, Pratt said. "We haven't really seen any animals in distress yet," he said. "We're very thankful, because we like keeping animals outside as long as possible." The family of grey wolves joins other new additions at the zoo since last fall, including three red pandas, called Suva, Mei Mei and Kelly, and a Siberian musk deer named Ozzy, the conservancy said in the release. The zoo is also hosting an exhibit called the Survival of the Slowest featuring a hedgehog, a bearded dragon and two-toed sloths, along with other animals, until Sept. 1.
CBC
29-05-2025
- General
- CBC
New drop-off site for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife opens at Assiniboine Park Zoo
A new facility where sick, injured or orphaned wildlife can be dropped off is opening up its doors at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo. Animals can get temporary care at the drop-off centre before they are transferred to Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre in Ile des Chênes, about 20 kilometres south of Winnipeg. The new facility was launched as a partnership between the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and Wildlife Haven in hopes of conserving wildlife and their natural habitats by making animal care more accessible in the city, they said in a joint news release on Thursday. Anyone who finds an injured or orphaned animal should call Wildlife Haven at 204-202-3806 for guidance. Staff will determine if the animal is eligible for care and provide advice on next steps. In some cases, human intervention may not be recommended, the release said. Animals eligible for care can be droped off at the facility at Assiniboine Park Zoo, which will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is accessible to the public on the west side of the main entrance parking lot at 2595 Roblin Blvd. Volunteers will manage the intake process with guidance from the zoo's veterinary team, who will provide health and welfare assessments along with temporary care as needed, the release said. After hours, wildlife can be dropped at Winnipeg's Bridgwater Veterinary Hospital at 100-350 North Town Rd.
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Assiniboine Park plans Game 5 Jets viewing party
Assiniboine Park is gearing up to take part in Jets mania, with an outdoor family friendly viewing party slated for — fingers crossed — Game 5 in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 'There's just nothing quite like the buzz that happens in Winnipeg and Manitoba when the Jets are in the playoffs, and that's really what it's all about — the community gets behind this team,' said Assiniboine Park Conservancy spokeswoman Laura Cabak. 'Just like everyone else, we got excited about the potential in this playoff run, you know, we're behind the team, and when it looked like they were going to make it through to Round 2, we were like, 'OK, let's do it.'' Cabak said the conservancy will show the Sportsnet game feed live on the screen at the Lyric Theatre at the park, if the team — which lost the first game of the best-of-seven series to the Dallas Stars Wednesday night — wins at least one of the next three contests, including Game 2 Friday night at Canada Life Centre. The third and fourth games will be played in Dallas on Sunday and Tuesday. The date and time of the Game 5 viewing party — and Cabak said park conservancy officials are confident it's when, not if, the team will make it — hasn't been announced, but gates will open an hour before puck drop. 'We are very confident — we're not superstitious — the Jets showed us at the end of Round 1 that they have what it takes, you cannot count them out,' said Cabak. 'We are fully confident in the home team, that there will be a Game 5.' The event will be ticketed and the area surrounding the stage will be fenced off, said Cabak, adding it's not yet clear how many people might attend, as it depends on the game time and weather. Admission will be capped at 2,500. 'There's a lot of variables,' she said. This year's playoffs are the first time the conservancy has planned a Jets event, but Cabak noted it will be handled similarly to past outdoor events, such as concerts in the park. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Fun and whimsy in the garden': RMTC prop finds new home at The Leaf
A replica truck that originally appeared in an RMTC show is now on display at The Leaf. (Source: Glenn Pismenny/CTV News) The Assiniboine Park Conservancy inherited the little red truck from the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (RMTC). It's now being used in a display at The Leaf called 'Green Thumbs, Green Future: The Sustainable Garden.' 'I think what we're trying to showcase is there's a sustainable way to do gardening, whether it's composting or growing your own vegetables, but there's always an opportunity for fun and whimsy in the garden,' said Gerald Dieleman, senior director of horticulture at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy. The truck was designed by Brian Perchaluk for RMTC Warehouse's November 2024 production of 'The Recipe.' It was created out of a welded steel frame that's been covered in plywood and Styrofoam. It was then skinned with fabric, coated in resin and hand-painted. Dieleman said the truck fits in with the spring garden theme and that the reuse of the prop highlights the idea of sustainability. He noted this isn't the first piece RMTC has shared with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, adding the organizations have an incredible partnership. 'The horticulturalists here at The Leaf and the set production team at the theatre company have established a really interesting relationship on unique pieces that are unique to the theatre but also can be used in the theatre of a garden,' he said. The Leaf's 'Green Thumbs, Green Future,' which showcases sustainable gardening, is on until June 1 at the Babs Asper Display House. The truck will remain with the park and may pop up in future displays.
