Move over Hudson, there's soon to be a new polar bear in town. A wild bear from Churchill is going to be making a new home for himself at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
The bear was captured last month in the northern town by Manitoba Conservation officers after an attack on a man there. He's been in a holding cell since. Conservation officials say he can't be released back into the wild because of his predatory behaviour, so the only options are to put him down or send him to a zoo.
Conservation officials say the bear is in good health and is a good candidate for the zoo.
"We observed it to be a curious animal, not lethargic, so all those factors makes it a good candidate for captivity," said James Duncan from Manitoba Conservation's wildlife branch.
But the real question is how will Hudson, a bear born and raised in captivity, get along with a bear from the wild? Zoo officials say the wild bear will be quarantined for 30 days while they assess him for any diseases.
After then, he'll be moved to an enclosure away from Hudson. But, officials say Hudson and the wild bear will be able to smell each other immediately.
Zoo officials say while having the two bears coexist is the goal, it may never happen.
"It's possible they will never be together. When we get the Journey to Churchill exhibits, there are three separate exhibits so we could manage them independently," said Don Peterkin from the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.
The wild bear could arrive in Winnipeg in the next 10 days.
Both Hudson and the wild bear are around three years old.
