Timmins News: How are the Cochrane polar bears coping with the summer heat?

The recent heat wave in Ontario and much of Canada and the US has sent people searching ways to ‘beat the heat’, so how did the three resident polar bears in northeastern Ont. tackled the recent hot weather?

Staff at the Cochrane polar bear habitat told CTV News that Ganuk, Inukshuk and Henry handled the weather quite well.

Two of the three polar bears in the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat beat the summer heat. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat/Facebook)While summer may not be a polar bear’s favorite time of year and even the hot spell hasn’t stopped the three residents of the habitat from enjoying the reserve, they take to their pools and the shade that provides visitors with a puts on a bit of a show.

“These bears are well accustomed to it,” said Kearin Goff, the habitat’s chief of animal care.

“We also give them a lot of freezies – they get moose blood freezies, frozen watermelons. They always have access to the pool and a big lake to swim in that is spring fed and stays nice and cold.”

Sanctuary officials said the increased smoke levels from this season’s wildfires don’t appear to be bothering the bears either.

Zookeepers said they always look out for changes in the behavior of the three and how their personalities evolve over time — the bears are a bit more sleepy, stay a bit closer to the shade and don’t mind a few extra dips in the pool this summer, but otherwise not much has changed.

“This year, Inukshuk decided he didn’t like watermelon rind anymore,” Goff said.

“Watermelon is all three of their favorite summer foods, but Inukshuk has decided he doesn’t want to eat the rind anymore, so we had to cut it off for him.”

The center is looking forward to a busy tourist season this summer with all the programs and renovations heritage village underway and the Nanuk Snack Shack has opened for the first time since the pandemic.

“We’re starting to get busier with our families coming in. We’re selling a lot of memberships right now, so yeah, it’s a fun time of year to be here,” said Amy Baxendell-Young, the manager of the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat.

“Our children’s pool is now open, so that means people can come in, take a dip in the children’s pool and maybe the bears will join them too.”

The Heritage Village is hosting a Heritage Days Festival on July 29-30 featuring the second annual Cochrane Western Gaming Show and barrel racing, hoping to entertain guests as they catch a glimpse of Ganuk, Inukshuk, and Henry polar bears this summer.

Visit them to learn more about the habitat and its activities Facebook page.