A polar bear drowned at a Canadian zoo Friday after his throat was crushed by a fellow bear while the pair were roughhousing.
The incident occurred at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada when Baffin, a 7-year-old bear, was playing around with another bear, 8-year-old Siku, according to a zoo press release. Siku apparently bit down on Baffin’s trachea while playing
Though the bite didn’t pierce through the bear’s skin, its impact crushed his trachea, zoo senior veterinarian Sandie Black told The Associated Press (AP).
“It is presumed that Baffin lost consciousness underwater due to the tracheal injury and subsequently drowned,” the press release stated.
Baffin was submerged in the pond of the exhibit and did not return to the surface, the outlet reported. Visitors reportedly watched the interaction unfold.
Initially, visitors and staff didn’t suspect any issues, the AP noted. (RELATED: ‘Invasion’: Polar Bears Terrorize Arctic Town).
“It was apparent that one of the bears didn’t surface,” zoo director of animal care Colleen Baird told the outlet. “[Visitors] were like, ‘How long can a bear hold its breath?’”
It’s been a difficult few days following the unexpected loss of polar bear, Baffin. Necropsy results show he drowned after a tracheal injury from rough play w/ Siku. He was in excellent health with no signs of heat stress. We continue to grieve his loss.💔 https://t.co/C5HIo5yNlE pic.twitter.com/4q8jZaibSK
— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) July 23, 2024
Black told the AP the bite was “tragically misplaced” and said their roughhousing was “typical of how they play.”
Visitors were ushered away following the incident and Siku was reportedly returned to his enclosure. The pond was then drained and Baffin’s body was recovered, the outlet reported.
“Baffin and Siku shared a long history as longtime habitat mates and enjoyed a companionate relationship, which is why they were chosen to come to Calgary from Assiniboine Park Zoo,” Baird said in the press release.
“They displayed many natural polar bear behaviours, including playing daily in and out of the water. The type and intensity of play on the day of the incident appeared to be no different than the type of play their caregivers witnessed from them on a daily basis,” she added.
The zoo’s staff were “deeply saddened by Baffin’s tragic accident” and Siku is being observed closely by Calgary’s Animal Care, Health & Welfare unit, according to the press release.
