Remembering Debby

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/04/2009 (6265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Assiniboine Park Zoo is getting a new polar bear, but don’t expect this one to do much in the way of… well, anything.

The province of Manitoba wants to donate a statue of Debby the polar bear, the Guinness record-setting carnivore that was Assiniboine Park Zoo’s most famous resident until she passed away last year at the age of 42.

Debby was believed to be the oldest member of her iconic Arctic species before she died in November from multiple organ failure, a consequence of living more than twice the average lifespan of a wild polar bear.

The province’s Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport department has offered to donate a statue to the zoo to "recognize what Debby meant to Manitobans," says a report that comes before city council’s protection and community services committee on Friday.

"When Debby was 41 years old, she was entered into the 2008 Guinness Book of Records as the oldest living polar bear. At age 42 years, she was within the top three longevity record-holders for all eight species of bears," reported Assiniboine Park enterprise manager Frank Caldwell.

"Following her death, over 500 visitors attended a ‘celebration’ event to commemorate Debby’s life, the zoo received world-wide attention and countless letters and correspondence in recognition of what Debby meant to the zoo, to the community, to polar bear conservation and to individuals who were touched by her story."

The report says the province will pick up the tab for the Debby statue, a creation of artist Charles Johnston.

The zoo has yet to determine where and when to place the statue, and will likely co-ordinate the unveiling as part of a fundraising campaign toward the construction of a new polar bear enclosure.

Debby’s former enclosure no longer meets provincial standards for housing polar bears, which means Assiniboine Park Zoo is not allowed to obtain a new member of the threatened species.

The Assiniboine Park Conservancy, an agency poised to take control of the park and all of its facilities, plans to launch a $150-million to $200-million capital campaign that will likely include a radical zoo makeover and a new polar bear facility.

Polar Bears International, an educational organization based in the park, hopes a new polar bear exhibit will allow visitors to view the creatures as they swim underwater and learn about the ecology and culture of Canada’s Arctic.

But officials have said it could take more than a decade to build this facility.

 

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Archive Video: Remembering Debby the Polar Bear