The donation was to the delight of Henry<\/a>, the habitat\u2019s 1,200-pound polar bear, who more than had his fill of the massive pumpkin.<\/p>\n Amy Baxendell-Young, manager of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat<\/a>, said the donation came about purely by chance.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my staff was driving up from down south and ended up directly behind this pumpkin as it was on the highway,\u201d Baxendell-Young told CTV News. <\/p>\n \u201cJeff was driving it up the highway.\u201d<\/p>\n The staff member saw the Aidie Creek Gardens info on the side of the van, so she gave them a call.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd pretty quickly they got back to me and said, if we don\u2019t take it, it\u2019s just going in the compost,\u201d Baxendell-Young said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey brought it right to us. So that was great.\u201d<\/p>\n A little hesitant at first<\/p>\n She said pumpkins are a popular seasonal treat for bears, and the habit normally receives a bunch of them as donations after Halloween. So she already knew that Henry loves pumpkins.<\/p>\n Although he was a little hesitant when it first arrived.<\/p>\n Cochrane polar bear devours a massive pumpkin Henry, a polar bear that lives at a habitat in Cochrane, Ont., gets ready to chow down on a 1,400-pound pumpkin. <\/p>\n \u201cHenry actually came out and didn\u2019t know what it was \u2014 and got actually quite defensive \u2026 because I think he was just quite shocked at this new thing in his enclosure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But, as the habit\u2019s live video feed showed, it didn\u2019t take long for him to chow down. While Henry loves the taste, Baxendell-Young said the pumpkin is \u201can empty food for them.\u201d<\/p>\n They can eat as much as they want without gaining weight, unlike brown bears, who store the food for hibernation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt tastes really good, but it does just go directly through their digestive systems,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s going to be a lot of pumpkin poop for us to pick up in the coming days.\u201d<\/p>\n The donation came during Polar Bear Week<\/a>, an event created by Polar Bears International<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s to bring light to polar bears and to celebrate them as they\u2019re coming to congregate on the coast up near Churchill, Man., and all along the Hudson Bay in the James Bay Coast as they\u2019re waiting for the sea ice to reform so they can head back out to start hunting again,\u201d Baxendell-Young said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also an opportunity to remind people of the challenges polar bears are facing. Ice is forming later and later because of climate change, and polar bears need the sea ice to hunt seals. That means the bears are struggling to get enough to eat and are more prone to disease.<\/p>\n \u201cThe winters are warming, the ice-free period is getting longer,\u201d Baxendell-Young said. <\/p>\n The Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat is a home for polar bears that can\u2019t live in the wild. It\u2019s currently caring for two bears: Henry and Ganuk.<\/p>\n While once at risk of closing, she said the habitat is now thriving, attracting plenty of visitors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a long way from that,\u201d Baxendell-Young said. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re moving forward in a really great direction.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PZO3QYRSDNH5VMAEO3BIBQDNJI.jpg\")
Henry digs in After initially being reluctant, Henry quickly began eating sections of the 1,400-pound pumpkin. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat photo) <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/44GWDCQTRNGMFFTRCEVB55IIE4.jpg\")
Henry 3 While polar bears love the taste of pumpkin, officials at the habitat say it quickly leaves their digestive system. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat photo) <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3Q3AIRFLDFDR7KHI4473XKRJ5I.jpg\")
Henry at night After eating his fill, Henry the polar bear sleeps next to the 1,400-pound pumpkin. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat photo) <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2XI5QHC67JE3XPACXYEGF6FH3I.jpg\")
Pumpkin v polar bear Henry, a 1,200-pound polar bear, appears to have had his fill of the 1,400-pound pumpkin that was donated last weekend to the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat photo) <\/p>\n