For two months, the underwater viewing tunnels at the Assiniboine Park Zoo have been closed but on Nov. 28, the polar bears were back in the water.
The zoo has re-opened the jewel of the Journey to Churchill exhibit.
"I think it's really cool,” said five-year-old visitor Holden.
The zoo had to shut down the underwater viewing tunnels after the polar bears began chewing the caulking that seals the water in.
Staff said they can't do that anymore.
"We put steel plates over all the caulking area," said Janice Martin, curator of the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
CTV news observed the bears trying to get at the caulking again, but the metal guard did its job and prevented them from getting another taste.
Instead, it is visitors who are again getting a real taste of the exhibit, including some who said it wasn't the same without the underwater viewing area.
"I think it just makes it 100 per cent better right?" said Brenda Treleaven, a visitor.
Better and, according to the zoo, safer.
To prevent any tragedies with the polar bears, zoo staff spent a day probing for anything that could potentially be dangerous.
"We swam the pool. The divers were in there exploring all aspects of the pool, yanking on everything they could,” said Martin. "We tried to imagine what it would be like for a bear, and make sure everything was good."
And the Assiniboine Park Zoo said it is.
