Hudson the polar bear's sister, Juno, coming to Winnipeg
Juno will travel to Winnipeg next week and first stay in the Leatherdale polar bear conservation centre
Winnipeg's zoo is getting another polar bear from a family it already knows well.
Juno, a 15-month-old bear is the sister of Hudson and Humphrey, who both spent time at the Assiniboine Park Zoo's Journey to Churchill exhibit.
Hudson came to Winnipeg from Toronto in January 2013 and was the first polar bear to live in Journey to Churchill when it opened in 2014. Humphrey, also born at the Toronto Zoo, followed in March 2015.
Like them, Juno will only be here temporarily, learning to socialize with other polar bear cubs and furthering her development towards becoming an adult bear, according to a news release from the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.
Born at the Toronto Zoo on Nov. 11, 2015, Juno was the only surviving cub in a litter of two and was closely monitored and cared for by staff during the early stages of her life.
"We are privileged to have an internationally award-winning Arctic exhibit that can be home to many polar bears at the same time, all of whom help us educate visitors about the impacts of climate change on their species," said Gary Lunsford, the Winnipeg zoo's director of animal management and conservation.
"Having Juno come to Assiniboine Park Zoo will give her the opportunity to learn from and develop alongside other polar bears her age. This will be very beneficial to her as she continues to mature."
Juno will travel to Winnipeg next week and will first make her home in the zoo's Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre for a standard 30-day quarantine period.
In time, she will be introduced to polar bear cubs Nanuq and Siku who also live at the centre and are close to her age. Eventually, all three will join the other seven bears in Journey to Churchill.
During his time in Winnipeg, Hudson greeted many guests and dignitaries, including Prince Charles in May 2014. He was a crowd favourite and an attention ham, often seen cozying up to the windows where people or news crews were watching.
Like Juno, he and Humphrey were 15-months-old when they came to Winnipeg. Hudson turned five the day he left to return to Toronto, while Humphrey was a month away from turning three.