Latest news with #ShanePratt
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo welcomes family of 5 grey wolves from Vancouver
Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg is inviting guests to connect with and meet a new family of five grey wolves that it welcomed from the Greater Vancouver Zoo on Thursday. The pack includes the parents, seven-year-old Chinook and Gigi, and their three offspring — Comet, who is male, and Stella and Virgo, who are female — curator Shane Pratt told CBC News on Friday. The pups are three years old. "This is really big. They're very interactive animals," Pratt said. "We really like having people connect with our animals and inspire people to conserve," as well as "learn about how important they are for ecosystems," he said. The family's arrival follows the death of Bear, 14, in March, the last grey wolf in the zoo's original pack, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy said in a Friday press release. "Grey wolves are an iconic Canadian species that can be found across the country, including right here in Manitoba," Dr. Chris Enright, senior director of zoological operations, said in the release. "Unfortunately, fear and misunderstanding have led to instances of human-wolf conflict and, in some cases, over-hunting," he said. "Educating people about the critical role keystone species like wolves play in their ecosystems and why they should be protected is an important part of what we do here at the zoo." So far, the new pack appears to be adapting fairly well into their expansive boreal forest and grasslands habitat, Pratt said, with Gigi being the first to come out and showing the most confidence. Due to the ongoing wildfire situation, Pratt says they're keeping a close eye on air quality statements, especially for those animals with the most sensitive lungs, such as birds. The zoo has policies and protocols in place to help move animals into a cleaner air environment, Pratt said. "We haven't really seen any animals in distress yet," he said. "We're very thankful, because we like keeping animals outside as long as possible." The family of grey wolves joins other new additions at the zoo since last fall, including three red pandas, called Suva, Mei Mei and Kelly, and a Siberian musk deer named Ozzy, the conservancy said in the release. The zoo is also hosting an exhibit called the Survival of the Slowest featuring a hedgehog, a bearded dragon and two-toed sloths, along with other animals, until Sept. 1.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
New pack of five grey wolves unveiled at Assiniboine Park Zoo
Gigi is one of the new grey wolves at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Uploaded June 6, 2025. (Assiniboine Park & Zoo/Facebook) A new pack of grey wolves has arrived at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Gigi, Chinook, Comet, Stella and Virgo have been introduced as the new canines at the zoo. They arrived Thursday from the Greater Vancouver Zoo. 'We're really excited,' said Shane Pratt, the curator of animal care. 'Our team is just really excited to bring in a charismatic northern species.' Comet, Stella and Virgo are the offspring of Gigi and Chinook, Platt said. Comet the grey wolf Comet is one of the new grey wolves at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Uploaded June 6, 2025. (Assiniboine Park & Zoo/Facebook) He noted Gigi has shown a lot of confidence in the new enclosure already, and it's rubbing off on the rest of the pack. 'Until they come here and we get to know them, we don't really know what to expect. So we kind of assume they're going to be fairly nervous and we try to make sure everything's going to be very comfortable for them, but they've exceeded our expectations.' The zoo had been on the hunt for a new pack since the last grey wolf, Bear, died back in March at 15. Bear and the rest of his pack of five had been at the zoo since 2014. Pratt said they had contacted the Vancouver Zoo quite some time ago, as they had 13 wolves and were looking to move some out. Stella the grey wolf Stella is one of the new grey wolves at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Uploaded June 6, 2025. (Assiniboine Park & Zoo/Facebook) Wolves are a big attraction at the zoo, Pratt said, adding visitors really connect with the animals. 'There's very few animals that inspire people about wildlife and wild places like wolves do.' When Gigi came out to explore her enclosure on Thursday, Pratt said people got very excited to see her and were in awe of her.
