WINNIPEG – Polar bears chewed into a water proof barrier at Winnipeg’s zoo, forcing crews to close a popular underwater viewing gallery.
Assiniboine Park zoo has drained the pools where the polar bears swim in view of visitors.
“We had to drain the pools in the Gateway to the Arctic building to perform some repair work after the bears decided to dig their teeth into some of the silicone,” Assiniboine Park Zoo spokesman Kevin Hunter said in an email.
The zoo already had maintenance work on the pools planned for later this year, so it’s taking the opportunity to get it done now rather than drain the pools twice. The display will be closed at least two weeks.
While the work is being done, the bears will still be available for viewing on land. The female bears Kaska and Aurora will move into the same part of the Journey to Churchill as the males, Hudson and Storm.
The seals will not be available for viewing, and the zoo will compensate visitors.
“Because we know this is a favourite viewing spot for our visitors, we’ll be offering a 10% discount on admissions while the repair work is being completed,” Hunter says. “We’ve sent the word out on this via social media, on our website and we’re of course communicating this at the gate.”
The Journey to Churchill exhibit opened this past summer.
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