The Bears
The Canadian Polar Bear Habitat is a home for polar bears who would not survive on their own in the wild.
Polar bears are highly specialized to the Arctic environment, and cubs stay with their mothers for two or three years to learn how to catch seals and other prey. The residents at the Habitat never learned how to hunt in the Arctic.
The Habitat is currently home to three male bears: Ganuk, Henry, and Inukshuk.
Age: 10
Date of birth: November 30, 2009
Place of birth: Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien, Quebec
Arrival at the Habitat: June 2012
Name: Ganuk is an Inuktitut word that means snowflake, and he is certainly one-of-a-kind
Ganuk, the son of Inukshuk, was born at Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien with his twin sister Taiga in 2009. Ganuk arrived at the Habitat in 2012 after having been separated from his mother and sister in 2011.
In 2016, Ganuk and Henry were introduced, and their relationship has developed well since. The time he spends with Henry encourages him to be more active – something he isn’t always motivated to do on his own.
As Ganuk is the longest resident at the Habitat, he is also the most familiar with the procedures involved in his care, and he has been known to use his knowledge to his advantage.
Ganuk responds well to voluntary training and is often the first of the bears to learn a new behaviour or participate in a new aspect of medical care. He was the first to voluntarily give blood, the first to participate in ultrasound exams, and remains the only bear to roll over in the training crate.
Ganuk expects his food to be prepared just-so. He happily eats seal meat and moose meat, but he avoids highly nutritious seal blubber and fish heads unless they are ground up with other food – a task that is time-consuming for the personnel at the Habitat. And if his food is presented in a container that is not to his liking, he will simply walk away.
Ganuk tends to lumber along at his own pace, and he avoids being outside when it’s raining.
While the bears’ weights fluctuate seasonally, Ganuk is usually our heaviest bear at between 1,000 and 1,100lbs (450 to 500kg). Even so, he is the least likely to initiate a sparring match with the others.
Age: 7
Date of birth: May 9, 2013
Place of birth: Sea World Gold Coast, Australia
Arrival at the Habitat: October 2015
Name: Henry was named after sea explorer Henry Hudson, who was the first European to see the Hudson Bay.
At the time of his birth, Henry was the first polar bear born in Australia in 30 years.
He stayed with his mother until he was two, and then she started showing signs of wanting to separate from him, as would happen in the wild.
Henry moved from Australia to the Habitat in October of 2015, but he still has a dedicated following from his birthplace.
Between separating from his mother, relocating, changing hemispheres, and being introduced to a new environment complete with new people, new foods, and more variable seasons, it was a challenging time for him.
Henry took an instant liking to Canadian snow. It took him a bit longer to warm up to moose meat, seal meat, and seal blubber, although now seal blubber is among his favourite things.
His introduction to Ganuk in 2016 represented a turning point for Henry, as he seemed to finally settle in at the Habitat. His progress continued after his introduction to Inukshuk in 2018.
He enters pools bum first, he enjoys crushing ice that forms on the pools or the lake, and he actively chases the ravens that try to steal his food. Henry is most likely to swim in the winter and interact with the ice that forms in the pool.
Henry can be counted on to poop in his room and stink up bear holding as everyone is settling in for the night.
Although Henry is sexually mature and a healthy 850lbs (385kg), he will continue to grow for a few more years. He is expected to top 1,000lbs (450kg).
Age: 17
Date of birth: Winter of 2002/2003
Place of birth: In the wild near Fort Severn, Ontario
Arrival at the Habitat: 2016 full-time (2012 initial)
Name: Inukshuk is an Inuktitut word for the marker stones or cairns which are built in the Arctic tundra, probably as landmarks. The literal meaning of the word is “that which acts in the capacity of a human.”
Inukshuk was orphaned near Fort Severn when he was about two months old, in early 2003.
He was kept overnight at the local police station then moved to the Toronto Zoo, since young bears need at least two years with their mothers to learn how to hunt in the Arctic.
Since 2012, he has spent most of his time at the Habitat, returning to the Toronto Zoo occasionally. He has been at the Habitat permanently since 2016.
In his time at other facilities, he fathered five cubs: Ganuk, Taiga, Hudson, Humphrey, and Juno.
When care staff at the Habitat first met Inukshuk, he was a bit misunderstood. However, with lots of time and dedication from both care staff and Inukshuk, they were able to connect with him and better understand his needs.
Now, he is the most likely to spend time in the company of people, and he is comfortable enough that he often falls asleep near animal care staff.
He is the bear most likely to nap in a pool – or anywhere, for that matter. Inukshuk tends to dig himself daybeds in the snow, grass, dirt, or other substrate in his environment. He also has a unique napping position, with his arms back and his rear end in the air, although Ganuk is now starting to learn this technique.
When Inukshuk was introduced to Henry and Ganuk in 2018, it was the first time he had direct contact with any other males. It quickly became clear that he would be the one to set the rules (Henry sometimes forgets this).
His time with Henry in particular has been positive for Inukshuk’s muscle development and has enhanced his ability to communicate with other bears.
Inukshuk seems the most excited by food, and seal blubber is his favourite.
After four years of training, Inukshuk voluntarily gave blood for the first time in 2020. He was the last of the bears to do so.
Inukshuk usually weighs around 1,000lbs (450kg) and is the polar bear at the Habitat who is most like the characteristic full-grown male.
- We know the wild is the best place for polar bears, but as long as we have bears in our care, we are dedicated to offering them a life of choices and engaging activities, raising the standard of care for polar bears around the world, and learning as much as we can from them to help guide conservation efforts for wild bears.
– JP Bradette,
Chair, Canadian Polar Bear Habitat
DIET
The bears at the Habitat receive a human-grade diet primarily made up of seal meat, seal blubber and seal oil, moose, and mackerel. They also eat a wide variety of fresh produce, peaking in the summer while their wild counterparts are generally fasting.
Fruits and vegetables provides the bears with additional sensory experiences and helps them feel full without ingesting too many calories. This keeps them leaner in the hotter months, when they don’t need as much insulation.
DIET
The bears at the Habitat receive a human-grade diet primarily made up of seal meat, seal blubber and seal oil, moose, and mackerel. They also eat a wide variety of fresh produce, peaking in the summer while their wild counterparts are generally fasting.
Fruits and vegetables provides the bears with additional sensory experiences and helps them feel full without ingesting too many calories. This keeps them leaner in the hotter months, when they don’t need as much insulation.
ENCLOSURES
The Habitat boasts five enclosures, ranging in size from half an acre up to 21 acres, totaling more than 24 acres of pristine subarctic and boreal natural environment for the bears to roam. The largest enclosure features a 10-acre lake, which becomes a platform of naturally forming ice for up to seven months of the year.
As much as possible, the bears choose where they spend their time, be it outside or inside, visible to the public or not. At certain times of the year, multiple bears can be in the same enclosure, which provides excellent mental and physical stimuli for both bears.
ENCLOSURES
The Habitat boasts five enclosures, ranging in size from half an acre up to 21 acres, totaling more than 24 acres of pristine subarctic and boreal natural environment for the bears to roam. The largest enclosure features a 10-acre lake, which becomes a platform of naturally forming ice for up to seven months of the year.
As much as possible, the bears choose where they spend their time, be it outside or inside, visible to the public or not. At certain times of the year, multiple bears can be in the same enclosure, which provides excellent mental and physical stimuli for both bears.
TRAINING
The Habitat’s Animal Care Staff offers each bear daily training sessions. Sessions can be outdoors or inside a specially-designed indoor training crate. Either way, the bears always have the choice whether to participate and are free to leave at any point during the session. They almost always choose to participate for its entirety.
During training sessions, animal care staff may reinforce certain behaviours that a bear has already learned or work to elicit a behaviour that will enhance the bear’s health or contribute to scientific research. These sessions also serve to improve communication and relationships between animal care staff and the bears.
TRAINING
The Habitat’s Animal Care Staff offers each bear daily training sessions. Sessions can be outdoors or inside a specially-designed indoor training crate. Either way, the bears always have the choice whether to participate and are free to leave at any point during the session. They almost always choose to participate for its entirety.
During training sessions, animal care staff may reinforce certain behaviours that a bear has already learned or work to elicit a behaviour that will enhance the bear’s health or contribute to scientific research. These sessions also serve to improve communication and relationships between animal care staff and the bears.
MEDICAL CARE
The polar bears at the Habitat are active participants in their own medical care. Certain aspects of their regular training, like opening their mouths or presenting their paws, allows animal care staff to check for injuries, for example. A trained veterinary technician performs a full-body exam on each bear once every two weeks with the bear’s cooperation.
Voluntary participation allows for injections, swabs, and sample collection without sedation, during a stress-free interaction.
Staff also works with the bears to have them voluntarily present their paws for the collection of blood samples. Blood is invaluable help in evaluating overall health and diagnosing illness. It provides information about the amount of certain biological compounds in the animal, and, in many cases, helps establish normal ranges for polar bears.
MEDICAL CARE
The polar bears at the Habitat are active participants in their own medical care. Certain aspects of their regular training, like opening their mouths or presenting their paws, allows animal care staff to check for injuries, for example. A trained veterinary technician performs a full-body exam on each bear once every two weeks with the bear’s cooperation.
Voluntary participation allows for injections, swabs, and sample collection without sedation, during a stress-free interaction.
Staff also works with the bears to have them voluntarily present their paws for the collection of blood samples. Blood is invaluable help in evaluating overall health and diagnosing illness. It provides information about the amount of certain biological compounds in the animal, and, in many cases, helps establish normal ranges for polar bears.
ENRICHMENTS
Enrichments are tools used to stimulate the bears’ senses. They can be anything from a training session with animal care staff to a sprinkling of cinnamon or oregano on the grass to an elaborate assembly of bear-safe materials designed to elicit natural behaviours from the bears. Enrichments are used by a number of facilities to improve an animal’s psychological and physiological well-being.
It may seem counterintuitive to put man made objects in the enclosures, since they are not in polar bears’ natural environment. But consider a plastic barrel: a recurring favourite. The bears often pounce on the barrels or try to sink them – behaviours that resemble how they might act in the wild, if they were breaking into seal dens through ice and snow. It would not be logistical (or ethical) to provide them with live prey, so a barrel, for example, makes a reasonable alternative.
ENRICHMENTS
Enrichments are tools used to stimulate the bears’ senses. They can be anything from a training session with animal care staff to a sprinkling of cinnamon or oregano on the grass to an elaborate assembly of bear-safe materials designed to elicit natural behaviours from the bears. Enrichments are used by a number of facilities to improve an animal’s psychological and physiological well-being.
It may seem counterintuitive to put man made objects in the enclosures, since they are not in polar bears’ natural environment. But consider a plastic barrel: a recurring favourite. The bears often pounce on the barrels or try to sink them – behaviours that resemble how they might act in the wild, if they were breaking into seal dens through ice and snow. It would not be logistical (or ethical) to provide them with live prey, so a barrel, for example, makes a reasonable alternative.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
In addition to the varied environment created by the Animal Care Staff, the bears’ natural environment at the Habitat provides a number of enrichment opportunities.
The spring-fed lake, soft ground substrate, and naturally occurring ice and snow present opportunities to interact with their surroundings.
The bears have the chance to dig into logs, swim with fish, and track local wildlife.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
In addition to the varied environment created by the Animal Care Staff, the bears’ natural environment at the Habitat provides a number of enrichment opportunities.
The spring-fed lake, soft ground substrate, and naturally occurring ice and snow present opportunities to interact with their surroundings.
The bears have the chance to dig into logs, swim with fish, and track local wildlife.