Orphaned grizzly cubs to stay at Calgary Zoo permanently

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has taken in two orphaned grizzly cubs from southern Alberta. (Wilder Institute)

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo says two orphaned grizzly cubs taken in this fall will now permanently call the zoo their home.

The cubs, born earlier this year, were discovered alone in southern Alberta after their mother was killed in an encounter with a human near Diamond Valley.

The zoo says the bears were, because of their young age, fully dependent on their mom and would have died if left in the wild.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Instead, they were brought to the zoo in mid-September.

“These cubs needed our help — but in many ways, we needed them too,” said zoo spokesperson Kim Walker in a Thursday news release. “Their arrival has brought new life and hope to our zoo family at a time when our hearts were heavy with the recent loss of Skoki and Khutzeymateen.

Skoki, a 35-year-old male grizzly, was euthanized in early September after a checkup revealed “age-related complications,” while 35-year-old female grizzly Khutzeymateen was euthanized at the end of the month due to her declining health.

The cubs — a slightly darker female and a lighter male — have not yet been named.

“They are eating well, adapting to their new surroundings, and slowly building trust with their dedicated caregivers,” said the zoo.

They will not be viewable to the public until spring 2026.