“Significant trauma” to a mother polar bear’s snout and jaw area was discovered during a necropsy into the animal’s death which resulted in a bear cub being orphaned and sent to live at Winnipeg’s zoo.
The findings were published in a public notice obtained by the Free Press, but the cause of the animal’s death, which happened near Churchill, Man. on Aug. 14, remains uncertain.
“The examination did not identify a skull fracture or evidence of injury to the brain,” said the notice.
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Mantayo, the latest addition to the polar bear family at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, came to the zoo as an orphan after his mother was found dead near Churchill in August.
“While the examination provided important information about the injuries sustained by the animal, it could not conclusively determine the specific circumstances that caused the injuries.
The public notice from Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures, shared with the Free Press Monday, said as with all wildlife investigations, there are limitations to what can be determined through a necropsy.
“Environmental conditions, the amount of time between death and examination, and the condition of the carcass can affect the conclusions that can be drawn,” the notice said. “Based on the available information, investigators were unable to conclusively establish the precise sequence of events that led to the bear’s death.”
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The provincial department is now asking for anyone with information to come forward to Manitoba Conservation.
In a statement, Geoff York, Polar Bear International’s president of research and policy, said the organization supports the findings.
“The necropsy of a large animal several days after death and in field conditions is challenging under the best of circumstances,” York said in the statement.
The polar bear’s cub has found a new home at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and was just recently named Mantayo based on an online vote.
morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca
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