Polar bear cub ready for visitors at Winnipeg zoo, as poll opens for his name

The orphaned polar bear who arrived at the Assiniboine Park Zoo this summer can now be viewed by the public, the park conservancy announced.

The cub, who has not been named yet, arrived at Winnipeg’s zoo in August. He is less than a year old and arrived in the city from Churchill, Man., where he was found orphaned after his mother died.

Since then, a team of animal care, veterinary and conservation experts have managed his care and helped him transition to this new home at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre. The team helped him build trust and adjust at his own pace, to ensure he was ready for the public to visit, Assiniboine Park Conservancy said in a news release.

“As this young bear continues to settle into his new home, it is important to honour and celebrate his connection to Churchill,” Laura Caback, the senior director of marketing and communications at Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said in the news release.

To credit the cub’s connection to the Polar Bear Capital of the World, the zoo has four potential name options – Duke, Marly, Fletcher and Mantayo. His name will be determined based on an online vote that closes Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Duke comes from the Duke of Marlborough School, a school in Churchill that serves students from kindergarten to Grade 12. Marly also honours that school and its student body, according to the release.

“We are proud to partner with the Town of Churchill and students of the Duke of Marlborough School, whose thoughtful name selections reflect the love and care the community has shown for this bear since the very beginning,” Caback said.

The third option, Fletcher, is named for Fletcher Lake, a waterway southeast of Churchill in Wapusk National Park, the zoo said.

The final of the four options, Mantayo, represents the Cree name for Churchill’s River of Strangers, it added. Mantayo means “strangers” in Cree.

He will join seven other rescued polar bears at the polar bear conservation site in Winnipeg. The cub, Storm, Nanuq, York, Kaska, Willow and Star will help connect visitors to Churchill and the Arctic from the city, the release said.