Polar Bears Yelle & Siku Meet at Calgary Zoo

0:00It's April 8th. This is Calgary News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. Calgary Zoo just welcomed their new polar bear out of quarantine. 20-year-old Yel, born in the Netherlands, arrived back on March 17th from a zoo in Quebec. He's finally exploring his new digs after a careful check-up period to make sure he's settling in smooth. This comes almost two years after a tough loss at the zoo. 10-year-old Baffin drowned in the bear pool back then, leaving 10-year-old Siku on his own ever since. Wildlife teams hope Yel steps in as a solid companion for him. Siku and Baffin both rolled into Calgary back in 2023 from Winnipeg Zoo. They were orphaned cubs, rescued from the wild, and raised together. So Siku knows the vibe of sharing space with other bears. Now the zoo's easing them into meeting face-to-face. They've used barriers so they can spot, smell, and even chat with each other from afar. Just yesterday they got their first real look, and staffs watching close, moving at the

1:01bear's own pace. Rists are real, with any intro like this, but the team's pros at it. Yel's the wise old head who's always lived with others, and Siku's prime for that dynamic. Years crossed, they click and thrive out on the habitat together soon.