The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo’s latest Arctic addition has officially met his new playmate, the zoo said Thursday. The zoo shared a video on social media showing Yelle — a 500-kilogram, 20-year-old polar bear who recently relocated from Quebec — wandering around his enclosure with his new roommate, 10-year-old Siku, nearby. The bears started sharing their habitat this week, the zoo said, after meeting through a mesh fence last week. “Our dedicated animal care, health & welfare team monitored as the two bears met for the first time without a barrier,” the zoo wrote. “During their first introduction session, the bears had calm interactions and even spent time playing in the pools together!” Yelle comes to the zoo nearly two years after Siku’s old playmate, Baffin, drowned in the pool after being injured during “rough play.” The zoo said it is “thrilled by the comfort they are showing with sharing a space,” adding that Yelle and Siku have both lived with other polar bears before. Though the polar bear enclosure spans over two acres, the zoo said in a social media post that Yelle and Siku have already been spotted napping within 10 feet of each other. “Having two bears share this habitat is an enriching social experience that brings them new sights, smells, sounds and a special opportunity for companionship that supports their welfare and well-being,” the zoo said.
