Name: York (male)
Born: November 2014 in the wild
Mother: Unknown
Father: Unknown
Siblings: Twin brother Eli (deceased)
Current location: Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
History of captivity:
- Captured in the vicinity of Churchill Manitoba
- Arrived at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre, part of the Assiniboine Park Zoo on 27 October 2015
Progeny: None
Additional Information
York is named for the York Factory First Nation which has traditional lands in Manitoba that include important polar bear denning habitats.
York and his twin brother Eli (now deceased) were orphaned when 11 months old after a civilian in Churchill accidentally shot their mother with a cracker shell. Cracker shells are used to scare bears away from the area but this one struck the mother causing heavy blood loss and eventual death.
An article on the arrival of the two bears at Assiniboine Park can be read here (opens in new window).
Return to Captive Polar Bear Directory
Page updated 13 February 2021