“There aren’t many of these creatures left on Earth – I don’t know if our efforts wouldn’t be better spent helping them in the wild.”
Visitors to the Calgary Zoo are expressing condolences but are also shocked and confused after a polar bear died on Friday.
Seven-year-old Baffin died after failing to emerge from the diving pool in his enclosure, the Calgary Zoo said on Friday.
Two male polar bears, Baffin and Siku, were fighting with each other around 11:30 a.m., which is normal behavior for them, when zoo staff noticed that Baffin had not shown up, said Jamie Dorgan, the zoo’s interim executive director.
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“Baffin died in the pool… It is obviously a huge shock to our staff and volunteers to learn of this incredibly surprising situation today (Friday),” he said.
Dorgan said they don’t yet know what went wrong and the investigation is ongoing.
Calgary resident Dana Prior visited the zoo Saturday morning and offered her condolences to staff, but said the facility’s “higher-ups” needed to make sure everything was set up properly in the enclosures.
“I have no idea what happened – but it sounds like they were not properly cared for here,” said Prior. “I know that the climate here at minus 0 degrees is tough for animals that normally live in the cold.”
“If it has something to do with it, they just have to take care of the animals.”
Prior was saddened by the news, especially because polar bears are an endangered species.
“Zoos are supposed to be concerned with species conservation,” she said.
Jake and Melissa Durglo from Montana came to the zoo on Saturday, among other things, to see the polar bears.
“It’s pretty tragic, I mean, our main attraction at the zoo was probably seeing the polar bears,” Jake said.
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Signs near the zoo’s north entrance indicated that the Taylor Family Foundation Polar Bear Sanctuary was closed Saturday. It is still unclear when it will reopen.
A zoo spokesman said by email that the results of the autopsy would be announced on Tuesday and the media would be invited for interviews.
“Our staff is devastated, heartbroken and struggling after the unexpected loss of Baffin,” the zoo said. “We are actively supporting them during this difficult time. The kindness and love of our community is felt and appreciated.”
The two bears arrived last fall from the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg – they were the first polar bears at the Calgary Zoo since 1999 – and later moved to the newly redesigned, $40 million Wild Canada Zone, which opened in December.
Dr. Chris Enright, senior director of zoological operations at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said in an emailed statement that they were “heartbroken” to learn of Baffin’s death after the Calgary Zoo’s animal care team announced the news on Friday.
“While they (Calgary Zoo staff) are personally devastated by this loss, they have also expressed their deepest condolences to our team, who will also be mourning his passing,” Enright said. “The polar bears who come to Assiniboine Park Zoo hold a special place in our hearts and minds.”
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“Our thoughts are with the team in Calgary and all those who care about the future of the polar bears and who are affected by this tragic loss.”
Jake Durglo, who had seen polar bears at the San Francisco Zoo, said they were “huge creatures” and an incredible sight. He was stunned to hear that one had died in Calgary.
Jake was surprised to hear that the bears were outside in the heat.
“In San Francisco, they didn’t come out unless you were there in the morning because it was really, really hot,” he said. “It certainly doesn’t seem natural.”
The Durglos are animal lovers and Jake said even being at the zoo was like “a double-edged sword.”
“Just the fact that it’s not their natural environment – I think in some zoos there’s some kind of rehabilitation aspect, the whole concept is just a bit difficult,” he said.
Speaking to the zoo, Jake said, “They were watching it and knew it was happening. Yes, it’s hard to hear, especially with a polar bear.”
“There aren’t many of these creatures left on Earth – I don’t know if our efforts shouldn’t be better spent helping them in the wild,” he added. “It’s terrible to hear that such a limited, huge creature has died.”
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Janet, who did not want to give her last name, lives in Calgary and went to the zoo on Saturday with her friend from Victoria BC
“We were only here a month ago. So yeah, it was definitely a bit of a shock – it’s super sad,” she said.
She moved to Calgary with her husband three months ago and hasn’t been to the Calgary Zoo in about 17 years, but has been several times since moving here.
“We hung out, watched the polar bears… it was just incredible and awesome,” Janet said.
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Michael Alvarez-Toye, director of the Calgary Animal Rights Effort and spokesperson against animal cruelty, said until an autopsy is performed, it would be speculation at this point to say heat was the cause of death – but he did not rule it out.
“The fact that they were fighting doesn’t rule out the possibility that heat was involved,” he said. “They do this in extreme heat conditions and they go into the water. I don’t know, but I think it’s like with dogs and cats. They say you shouldn’t try to cool them down with cold water because it’s a shock to their bodies.”
Alvarez-Toye said it should be science that “dictates the confinement of animals.”
“The science clearly shows that polar bears should not be caged and should never be. It doesn’t matter what entertainment you give them – they are not animals that live for entertainment.”
— With files from Bill Kaufmann, Monica Zurowski and Scott Strasser
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