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Guests to the Calgary Zoo are sharing condolences, together with a mix of shock and confusion after a polar bear died on Friday.

Seven-year-old Baffin died after failing to resurface from the plunge pool inside its enclosure, the Calgary Zoo mentioned Friday.

Two male polar bears, Baffin and Siku, had been sparring round 11:30 a.m., a standard behaviour for them — when zoo employees seen Baffin had not surfaced, mentioned Jamie Dorgan, the zoo’s interim CEO.

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“Baffin was deceased within the pool … It’s clearly an enormous shock right now (Friday) for our employees and volunteers to be taught of this extremely stunning state of affairs,” he mentioned.

Dorgan mentioned it’s not but recognized what might need gone fallacious and an investigation is ongoing.

Calgarian Dana Prior was visiting the zoo Saturday morning and prolonged her condolences to employees, however mentioned “higher-ups” on the facility want to verify issues are arrange correctly within the enclosure.

“I do not know what occurred — however that feels like perhaps they weren’t being correctly cared for right here,” mentioned Prior. “I do know it’s a tricky local weather for animals that normally dwell within the chilly to be right here in 32 levels.

“If it was something to do with that, they simply must, you recognize, look out for the animals.”

Prior was saddened by the information, particularly with polar bears being an endangered species,

“Zoos are alleged to be doing conservation form of stuff,” she mentioned.

Jake and Melissa Durglo from Montana got here to the zoo on Saturday, partially, to see the polar bears.

“It’s fairly tragic, I imply, our primary attraction coming to the zoo, was most likely to see the polar bear(s),” Jake mentioned.

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Signage close to the zoo’s North Entrance indicated the Taylor Household Basis Polar Bear Sanctuary was closed on Saturday. It stays unclear when it might reopen.

A zoo spokesperson indicated through e-mail that they are going to be sharing necropsy outcomes and welcoming media for interviews on Tuesday.

“Our employees are devastated, heartbroken and struggling after the surprising lack of Baffin,” the zoo mentioned. “We’re actively supporting them throughout this troublesome time. Our group’s kindness and love is felt and appreciated.”

The 2 bears got here from the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg final fall — the primary polar bears on the Calgary Zoo since 1999 — later taking over residence within the revamped $40-million Wild Canada Zone, which opened in December.

Dr. Chris Enright, senior director of zoological operations on the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, mentioned in an emailed assertion that they had been “heartbroken” to be taught of Baffin’s dying after the Calgary Zoo’s animal care group shared it on Friday.

“Whereas they (employees on the Calgary Zoo) are personally devastated by this loss, additionally they expressed their heartfelt condolences to our group, who may even mourn his passing,” mentioned Enright. “The polar bears who come to Assiniboine Park Zoo maintain a particular place in our hearts and minds.

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“Our ideas are with the Calgary group and all those that care about the way forward for polar bears and can be impacted by this tragic loss.”

Having seen polar bears on the San Francisco Zoo, Jake Durglo mentioned they’re such “big creatures” and superb to view. He was baffled to listen to that one in Calgary had died.

Jake was shocked to listen to that the bears had been out within the warmth.

“In San Francisco, they wouldn’t come out until you had been there within the morning as a result of it was actually actually scorching,” he mentioned. “It doesn’t appear pure for positive.”

The Durglos are animal lovers, and Jake mentioned even being on the zoo is like “a double-edged sword”.

“Simply the truth that I imply, it’s not their pure surroundings — I believe there’s some like rehabilitation side to some zoos, simply the entire idea is a bit robust,” he mentioned.

In regard to the zoo, Jake mentioned, “They had been monitoring, they had been conscious it occurred. Yeah, it’s laborious to listen to, particularly with a polar bear.

“There’s not a whole lot of these creatures left on earth — I don’t know if our efforts can be higher spent serving to them out within the wild,” he added. “It’s horrible to listen to this such a restricted, huge creature died.”

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Janet, who declined to share her final title, lives in Calgary and went to the zoo Saturday along with her good friend from Victoria B.C.

“We simply had been right here a month in the past. So yeah, a bit little bit of a shock for positive — it’s tremendous unhappy,” she mentioned.

She moved to Calgary along with her husband three months in the past and hasn’t been to the Calgary Zoo in about 17 years, however has gone a number of occasions since shifting right here.

“We frolicked, watched the polar bears … it was simply superb and superior,” mentioned Janet.

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Michael Alvarez-Toye, Calgary Animal Rights Effort administrator and a spokesperson towards animal cruelty, mentioned till an post-mortem is finished it will be speculating at this level to say warmth was the reason for dying — though he didn’t rule it out.

“The very fact they had been sparring doesn’t take away from the robust chance that the warmth was concerned,” he mentioned. “They do that in excessive warmth situation(s) and go into the water, I don’t know however would assume similar to canine and cats, they are saying don’t attempt to cool them off with chilly water as a result of it’s a shock to their system.”

Alvarez-Toye mentioned it needs to be science that “dictates the imprisonment of animals.”

“The science clearly reveals polar bears shouldn’t and will by no means be imprisoned as they’re. It doesn’t matter what leisure you present them — they’re not animals that dwell to be amused.”

— With recordsdata from Invoice Kaufmann, Monica Zurowski and Scott Strasser

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