‘It took a lot to gain his trust … but once you had that trust, he was completely different with you,’ says Amy Baxendell-Young

A year after saying goodbye to one of their beloved polar bears, staff and community members are gathering tonight at the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat to honour his memory.

Inukshuk, a nearly 22-year-old polar bear, was euthanized on Aug. 26, 2024, after being diagnosed with kidney disease. Tonight (Aug. 29), his ashes will be scattered over the habitat’s lake enclosure. 

For habitat manager Amy Baxendell-Young, the gathering is both emotional and meaningful.

“I think it’s a little bit different for everyone, everyone had their different relationship with him,” she said. 

“For the staff, I think it’s a really important way for us to recognize the impact that he had on us, and to recognize that it has been a year. Tuesday was hard for all of us. Staff meeting was a little bit teary. He played such a huge role here.”

The choice to scatter his ashes over the lake enclosure was deliberate.

“The lake enclosure is such a unique space. No other bears in the world have anything like it,” Baxendell-Young said. 

“Inukshuk spent a lot of time down there, especially on the area where we’re going to be scattering from … He was just so relaxed when he was out there, and he was just himself. So it feels like the right place.”

Though staff mourned deeply, they also carefully monitored how the other bears adjusted.

“We were obviously very conscious of this as he was becoming ill … Thankfully, they’re OK. They definitely noticed, the first few weeks afterwards, but otherwise they’ve been fine.”

The community’s response to the memorial has been overwhelming, Baxendell-Young added, with many requesting that the ceremony be live streamed on Facebook so they can take part from afar.

“That’s been pretty special to have so many people wanting to be a part of this, whether they’re local or not.”

For Baxendell-Young, Inukshuk stood out as a bear with both complexity and charm.

“It took a lot to gain his trust … but once you had that trust, he was completely different with you,” she said. 

“He was the most people-driven bear I think I’ve ever met. He really just enjoyed laying down and sleeping at the fence with people. He would play this pouncing game, like he’d pretend to be a seal … For an older bear to do things like that, it was just so special.”

That special connection extended beyond the staff. Since his passing, the outpouring of support from the community has helped carry the habitat team through their grief, Baxendell-Young said.

“It means a lot, because it means we’re not alone. Everyone understands love for animals … And so knowing that the community also felt this loss as well makes us really feel a part of things,” she said.

His legacy lives on at the habitat in several ways. A portrait and plaque already honour him, and a new memorial grove established Thursday feature a tree planted for each bear that has lived at and passed through the habitat. Inukshuk’s influence also extends into research, with staff now working on studies aimed at preventing kidney disease in other polar bears.

“We still talk about him every day,” Baxendell-Young said.

The gathering starts at 6 p.m. and can be watched on the habitat’s Facebook page.