Polar bear centre waiting for furry tenants

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This article was published 24/01/2012 (5347 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE doors are open and the video screens are glowing — now, all that’s missing from the city’s brand-new International Polar Bear Conservation Centre are the big white bears.

Or rather, the little white ones. On Monday, the Assiniboine Park Zoo formally opened the IPBCC to the public. The research and conservation facility will specialize in rehabilitating orphaned polar bear cubs rescued from the shores of Hudson Bay. Though the facility can house as many as a dozen cubs, zookeepers don’t expect to see that many — and in a way, they aren’t too eager to see any at all.

"We really hope we don’t see any orphaned polar bear cubs," said zoological director Tim Sinclair-Smith, touring the stainless-steel enclosures that will house the rescued cubs. "But realistically, it’s going to happen. So we’re ready right now… we could get one next week, or we may not see anything until next year."

In the meantime, there’s much for the public to see at the facility, which sits on the site of the old bear enclosures that once housed beloved polar bear Debby. An interpretive centre connected to the research facility is replete with interactive games, displays and videos exploring the impact of climate change on the polar bears’ icy habitats.

"(With climate change), people look at polar bears, and they will take a hint from that," Premier Greg Selinger said at the opening ceremony.

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"(The IPBCC) is going to allow us to play a leadership role in the world."

When the next chunk of the zoo’s $200-million redevelopment is complete in 2013, the IPBCC’s tall windows will give a view of the Journey to Churchill exhibit, a sprawling 10-acre trip through the tundra lands. "What you see here is a phenomenal opportunity, and something very creative and special," said Mayor Sam Katz, speaking in front of an audience packed with nature researchers and supporters of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy. Among the crowd, two special guests were in town to take a closer look. As part of the expanded polar bear conservation project, the Assiniboine Park Zoo signed memorandums of understanding with the North Carolina Zoo and the San Diego Zoo. The agreement will see the three zoos collaborating to share expertise and research in handling and understanding the bears.

After landing in Winnipeg early Monday morning, Jeff Andrews, the San Diego Zoo’s assistant curator for mammals, had high praise for what he called a "state of the art" facility. "Inside and outside, the animal facilities are top-notch," Andrews said. "And it couldn’t be more perfectly located. Not only is it in the province of Manitoba, but it’s relatively close (to Churchill), so if the orphan cubs need a place to go, we’ve now got one right here."

After Sinclair-Smith was appointed zoological director of the Assiniboine Park Zoo more than a year ago, he approached Andrews about tapping into some of the world-famous San Diego Zoo’s expansive expertise.

"We’ll be working with staff directly to develop keepers’ ability to work with these bears hands-on," Andrews said, noting that the San Diego Zoo has three polar bears of its own. "We’re looking to benefit (from the partnership) as well… It lends a feeling of optimism to us, but there’s still a lot of work to do."

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

Onward to Churchill

The International Polar Bear Conservation Centre, now open to the public, is just one new facet of the Assiniboine Park Zoo’s $200-million facelift. Still to come: the sprawling Journey to Churchill exhibit, which will take visitors on a trip through northern Manitoba’s native ecosystems. Though the 10-acre route is just a construction zone right now, when it’s completed it will feature three distinct zones:

 

Wapusk lowlands

This section features both a boreal forest populated by moose, black bears and wolves, as well as a tundra section roamed by caribou, arctic foxes and musk ox.

 

Gateway to the Arctic

From inside a 10-foot-wide tunnel, visitors will be able to watch polar bears and ringed seals frolic underwater. Above ground, a domed theatre and more interpretive media will teach about how the animals adapted to living on the sea ice.

 

Churchill coast

A 150-seat restaurant will open onto a view of the polar bear enclosure, while an underground playground will entertain even the tiniest tykes.