About Our Bears
Get to know the bears that call the Polar Bear Habitat home. Every bear that finds sanctuary with us has a unique past and an even more unique personality which we nurture and encourage to thrive.
Ganuk
Age: 14
Date of birth: November 30, 2009
Place of birth: Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien, Quebec
Arrival at the Habitat: June 2012
Ganuk, the eldest son of Inukshuk, was born at Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien with his twin sister Taiga in 2009. Ganuk arrived at the Habitat in 2012 after having been separated from his mother and sister in 2011.
In 2016, Ganuk and Henry were introduced, and their relationship has developed well since. Ganuk's docile and patient demeanour is a perfect accompaniment to Henry's ever-active personality. The time he spends with Henry encourages him to be more active – something he isn’t always motivated to do on his own.
As Ganuk is the longest resident at the Habitat, he is also the most familiar with the procedures involved in his care, and he has been known to use his knowledge to his advantage.
Ganuk responds well to voluntary training and is often the first of the bears to learn a new behaviour or participate in a new aspect of medical care. He was the first to voluntarily give blood, the first to participate in ultrasound exams, and remains the only bear to roll over in the training crate.
Ganuk may be the largest bear but he is by far the most particular when it comes to his diet. He happily eats seal meat and moose meat, but he avoids highly nutritious seal blubber and the less meaty parts of the fish. Animal care staff discovered the perfect way to ensure he eats a proper diet - all of the fish heads, tails and seal oil are ground together into a mash and then fed to him using a spoon. A method which he and the animal care staff love!
Ganuk tends to lumber along at his own pace, and he avoids being outside when it’s raining.
While his weight fluctuates seasonally, Ganuk is usually our heaviest bear at between 1,000 and 1,100lbs (450 to 500kg). He is affectionally - and aptly - known as our gentle giant.
