Orphaned polar bear cub arrives in Winnipeg

An orphaned polar bear cub is shown at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo on August 20, 2026. Staff note the green markings on the cub’s face is excess dye from an identification tattoo application it received in Churchill, Man. (Source: Assiniboine Park Conservancy)

An orphaned polar bear cub from Churchill safely arrived in Winnipeg Thursday evening.

The Assiniboine Park Conservancy (APC) said the cub, whose mother was found dead in northern Manitoba, is now residing at the zoo’s Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre.

In a news release Friday, the conservancy said members of its polar bear rescue team helped provide care in Churchill before veterinary staff assisted in the cub trip to Winnipeg.

“We’re fortunate to have a world class polar bear care facility at Assiniboine Park Zoo and grateful to be able to give this cub a safe home and new opportunity to thrive,” Dr. Chris Enright, senior director of zoological operations, said in the release. “Our veterinary and animal care teams will be focused on providing a safe, supportive environment as the cub gets comfortable in its new surroundings.”

The cub will now enter a quarantine period while the zoo’s veterinary and animal care teams assess its health and wellbeing. A conservancy spokesperson said the cub won’t be visible to zoo visitors during this time as it adapts to a new environment.

The conservancy noted research has shown that orphaned polar bear cubs younger than a year can’t survive on their own.

“It is always a sad day when there is an orphaned cub, particularly as polar bears face increasing pressures related to climate change,” Dr. Stephen Petersen, the zoo’s conservation and research director, wrote. “Our centre was created to care for polar bears that cannot survive in the wild, and this cub will serve as an ambassador for its species, Churchill, and the Arctic, helping connect people to the challenges polar bears face in the wild and inspiring conservation action.”

The cub, who has yet to be named, joins six other rescued polar bears currently living at the zoo.

In a social media post, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy said the green markings on the cub’s face is excess dye from an identification tattoo application it received in Churchill. The conservancy said the dye is harmless and will disappear within the next few days.