Hudson will arrive at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in the coming weeks. (TORONTO ZOO / HANDOUT)
Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Zoo will once again be home to a polar bear after receiving a 15-month-old from the Toronto Zoo.
Hudson will be the zoo’s first arrival to the upcoming Journey to Churchill exhibit opening in 2014. The bear will make a temporary home for himself at the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre (IPBCC) when he arrives on January 28.
“This is so exciting for all of us at the Assiniboine Park Zoo and a big step forward in the Zoo’s polar bear program,” said Tim Sinclair-Smith, director of zoological operations. “We can’t wait to give Hudson a proper Winnipeg welcome and to give the community an opportunity to do the same.”
The bear was the only surviving cub in a litter of three. He was closely monitored by Toronto Zoo staff for the first three months of his life.
As Hudson nears the age of maturity, the hope is that he will be paired with a female in the future and contribute to the Species Survival Plan (SSP) breeding program.
The zoo hasn’t given a date on when Hudson will be available for public viewing.
