culture
Can’t Bear to Lose You
Adorable bear to leave Toronto Zoo, make everyone sad.
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- Just your average midday wrestling session.
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- I'm a ferocious beast, and you should fear me.
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- Yeah, I showed that plastic pan who's boss.
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- Just walking through snow, as polar bear cubs do.
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- These kids probably want to tell me how cute I am and stuff, so I'll say hi.
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- Oh, are we saying bye now? Okay, bye!
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- We're doing a second goodbye now? Umm, that's really awkward.
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In unbearable news, Humphrey the polar bear cub will leave the Toronto Zoo next week.
The 15-month-old Humphrey, who is officially adorable, drew outsized attention during his stay at the Toronto Zoo. He was at the centre of a controversial naming contest, inspired some uninspiring high-school students to trespass to get a selfie, and was the subject of naming ceremonies and a special birthday celebration.
He was also featured in popular Zoo videos that demonstrated his first steps, and later, baths, because everything that bear does is fascinating.
The loss of Humphrey will likely hurt the Zoo’s bottom line. Blaming bad weather and the new Ripley’s Aquarium, last year’s Zoo budget needed to dip into reserves to balance the books. The Zoo’s report did, however, list Humphrey as one of their highlights for the year.
For all the Humphrey enthusiasts out there, he is going to a good home. The bear will leave for Winnipeg after Family Day, where he will live in a “10-acre, state-of-the-art polar bear habitat [that] is currently home to six other polar bears,” according to a Zoo press release. Part of the idea is to have Humphrey learn how to socialize with other bears, an important part of his development.
He will also have some familial company—his brother Hudson left for the Winnipeg Zoo in January 2013.