Name:  Nikita (female)

Born:  Winter 2000 in the wild

Mother:  Not known

Father:  Not known

Siblings:  Aurora

Current location:  Toronto Zoo, Ontario, Canada

History of captivity:

1. Born in the wild Winter of 2000/2001
2. Rescued in Polar Bear Provincial Park February 2001
3. Arrived at Toronto Zoo on 18 February 2001
4. Transferred to Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien, Saint-Félicien, Quebec, Canada 4 January 2002
5. Transferred to Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, Cochrane, Ontario, Canada 19 May 2004
6. Returned to Toronto Zoo 3 July 2009

Progeny:  None

Additional Information

Nikita and her twin sister Aurora were orphaned after their mother was reportedly killed by a hunter.  The cubs were found wandering in Ontario’s Polar Bear Provincial Park on the western shore where James Bay joins Hudson Bay.

The two bears are hard to tell apart but their keepers look at their tongues to do so. Aurora’s has pink splotches, while Nikita’s tongue is a darker purplish black.  The Zoo’s publicity states that Nikita’s favourite food is squid.  She is described as a shy bear and she has had no cubs.

Return to Captive Polar Bear Directory

Page updated 10 August 2019