Calgary Zoo Polar Bear’s Drowning Death Due to Injury From Roughhousing With Another Bear

Calgary’s 7-year-old male polar bear ‘Baffin’ died as a result of rough play with another polar bear in the enclosure, the Calgary Zoo says. A necropsy completed by an independent wildlife pathologist determined Baffin died by drowning following an injury to his trachea. The injury occurred during play with 8-year-old polar bear ‘Siku,’ the zoo said in a July 23 news release. “It is presumed that Baffin lost consciousness underwater due to the tracheal injury and subsequently drowned,” the zoo said. The incident happened on July 19. A spokesperson for the zoo told The Epoch Times in an email that while Siku was “aware” that Baffin was not in the habitat, the bear was “demonstrating natural behaviours,” eating normally and participating in training sessions....