WINNIPEG — The two newest polar bears to move in to Assiniboine Park Zoo have names thanks to a public campaign. “York” and “Eli” arrived at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at the end of October after Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship discovered the 11-month-old orphaned cubs in Churchill.
READ MORE: 7 polar bears now live in Winnipeg zoo’s Journey to Churchill
During the month of December 579 votes were cast and more than $18,000 raised through the Donate to Vote campaign. It launched at the beginning of December with a list of four potential names for the public to vote on: York, Eli, Tatnum and Aiken.
York refers to the York Factory First Nation which has traditional lands that include important polar bear denning habitats, while Eli pays tribute to an Elder from that same first nation that lived and hunter in the area.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with the results of this campaign and the names that have been selected for the cubs,” said Gary Lunsford, Head, Zoological Operations at Assiniboine Park Zoo. “It’s wonderful that so many people from the community were involved in selecting their names and made donations that support our ongoing polar bear rescue and conservation efforts.”
York and Eli are currently living in the polar bear habitat at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre. Visitors can see them daily from 9am to 4pm.
- RCMP arrests alleged hitmen accused of killing B.C. Sikh leader
- Fall COVID-19 vaccine guidelines are out. Here’s what NACI recommends
- Some 2019 candidates ‘appeared willing’ to engage with foreign interference: Hogue inquiry
- Thousands of Canada’s rail workers have a strike mandate. What happens now?
Comments