Latest news with #AssiniboineParkZoo
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Polar bear at Assiniboine Park Zoo dies at age 30
Agee, a polar bear who has been living at Assiniboine Park Zoo since 2022, has died at age 30. A senior polar bear at Assiniboine Park Zoo died at the end of last week. In a Facebook post, the zoo announced the passing of Agee – a 30-year-old polar bear who came to Winnipeg from British Columbia in 2022. Agee turned 30 in January, which is a senior citizen in the world of polar bears. During her time at Assiniboine Park Zoo, she dealt with several age-related conditions, including kidney failure, dental problems and mobility issues. The Facebook post said Agee seemed to be doing well over the past month, but last week experienced a 'sudden, onset, severe deterioration in her health.' The zoo believes she had a significant decline in kidney function, which may have been associated with an infection. Despite medical intervention, Agee did not make it. Agee lived a private life and was not seen by visitors of the zoo. However, the zoo noted, she was deeply bonded to the team who cared for here. 'She loved to swim and spent much of her time cruising around in her personal pool,' the zoo said. 'She would often take enrichment items and food to her bed (aka her nest) and could be spotted cuddling with her toys.' Further investigation into the sudden decline in Agee's health is underway, including postmortem examinations. Results of these tests may provide more insight into Agee's condition at the time of her death.
CBC
11-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Manitoba caregiver worried wildfire evacuation will have lasting impacts on children
Wildfire evacuee Irvin Head from Cranberry Portage, who cares for his niece and two nephews, is concerned about what the evacuation means for children's education, socialization and well-being away from school. Head and his family, who are among the 21,000 wildfire evacuees from Manitoba, were forced out of their home at the end of May and have been staying in Winnipeg since. The family has mostly been cooped up inside with their electronics and pets, apart from a visit to the Assiniboine Park Zoo last week facilitated by the Canadian Red Cross, Head said. The evacuation experience has been stressful and full of uncertainty for the children, he said. "The kids feel it just as much as we do, but they express it differently," Head said. "It's necessary for the kids to be able to have those activities and have some sort of normalcy, because if we're stuck in our, where we're renting, and there's nothing for them to do there, they lose that sort of schedule. Like, they say, 'Oh, I miss my school friends. I wish I could go to school again.'" Head's 14-year-old nephew is missing out on core memories at school, including his Grade 8 trip to Churchill that's been cancelled. "It's upsetting, and the best we could do is say, 'OK, we'll go to the zoo, this and that,' but you can sort of tell he was really disappointed," he said. "It's going to be every kid's problem who had to miss out on that sort of stuff." Cranberry Portage's evacuation last year due to a different wildfire meant some high school graduates missed out on their postponed graduation, he said. Northern schools closed Head's nephew and two nieces are among about 800 children in the Frontier School Division who've been displaced due to evacuation orders brought on by wildfires in the last few weeks. They're from seven schools in Bissett, Cranberry Portage, Cross Lake, Lynn Lake, Sherridon and Snow Lake, Frontier chief superintendent Tyson MacGillivray told CBC News. It's the most significant evacuation he can recall his division ever having to work through, he said. "It's a very stressful time for families and students, and they're navigating and using their tools to make this the best that they can, given the severe circumstances that they're under," MacGillivray said. In the last two weeks, poor air quality due to wildfire smoke has also forced some day closures at schools in Brochet, Gillam, Leaf Rapids, Norway House, South Indian Lake and Wabowden, he said. "One day you may have great air quality. The next day, depending on the wind, the community can be blanketed by smoke, so it's really on a case-by-case basis … to make that call on whether we should continue with classes or postpone them for the day." MacGillivray says for now, the division is focused on student wellness and getting in touch with displaced families scattered across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario to make sure they have activities and feel well supported. He hopes most of the evacuees will be able to go back to their communities in the next week to 10 days, and children can return to school for the remainder of the academic year. "As soon as we have the OK to get back into the community, we'll re-engage our kids," to make sure students are in a good place and prepared for their next grade level, MacGillivray said. 'We're in survival mode' Frontier School Division and Louis Riel School Division are among those helping the Cross Lake Education Authority put on a field day in Winnipeg on Wednesday. The event's activities include balloons and bouncy castles, along with games and learning booths for displaced students. "That's at least something we can do," Pimicikamak Cree Nation Coun. Vivian Scott said Tuesday. The chief and council have mainly been preoccupied with making sure community members are fed and have a place to stay for the night, since the First Nation declared a state of emergency last month due to a nearby out-of-control wildfire, Scott said. They continue to deal with daily accommodation and payment issues with the Red Cross, she said. "As for learning, I wish good luck to all our parents with that, because … we're in survival mode," Scott said. Head is grateful his family was able to secure an Airbnb during the evacuation, although they're also plagued with questions and worries about whether they'll be reimbursed. "If this continues on for longer than they plan, how is this going to pan out?" he said. "Are we going to have to transfer the kids if we have to stay here for longer?" Head would be open to having the children continue their education online, similar to COVID-19 pandemic times, or getting learning materials from schools, so they can resume their studies until they can go home. "I don't know if this situation is going to get any better before it gets worse," he said.
CBC
06-06-2025
- General
- CBC
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.
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
New pack of five grey wolves unveiled at Assiniboine Park Zoo
Gigi is one of the new grey wolves at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Uploaded June 6, 2025. (Assiniboine Park & Zoo/Facebook) A new pack of grey wolves has arrived at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Gigi, Chinook, Comet, Stella and Virgo have been introduced as the new canines at the zoo. They arrived Thursday from the Greater Vancouver Zoo. 'We're really excited,' said Shane Pratt, the curator of animal care. 'Our team is just really excited to bring in a charismatic northern species.' Comet, Stella and Virgo are the offspring of Gigi and Chinook, Platt said. Comet the grey wolf Comet is one of the new grey wolves at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Uploaded June 6, 2025. (Assiniboine Park & Zoo/Facebook) He noted Gigi has shown a lot of confidence in the new enclosure already, and it's rubbing off on the rest of the pack. 'Until they come here and we get to know them, we don't really know what to expect. So we kind of assume they're going to be fairly nervous and we try to make sure everything's going to be very comfortable for them, but they've exceeded our expectations.' The zoo had been on the hunt for a new pack since the last grey wolf, Bear, died back in March at 15. Bear and the rest of his pack of five had been at the zoo since 2014. Pratt said they had contacted the Vancouver Zoo quite some time ago, as they had 13 wolves and were looking to move some out. Stella the grey wolf Stella is one of the new grey wolves at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Uploaded June 6, 2025. (Assiniboine Park & Zoo/Facebook) Wolves are a big attraction at the zoo, Pratt said, adding visitors really connect with the animals. 'There's very few animals that inspire people about wildlife and wild places like wolves do.' When Gigi came out to explore her enclosure on Thursday, Pratt said people got very excited to see her and were in awe of her.
