Zoo welcomes pack of five grey wolves

The Assiniboine Park Zoo is welcoming a new addition with the recent arrival of a pack of five grey wolves.

The addition of Chinook (male, seven years), Gigi (female, seven years), Comet (male, three years), Stella (female, three years), and Virgo (female, three years) comes after the passing of Bear, the last member of the zoo’s original wolf pack, in March.

The wolves arrived from the Greater Vancouver Zoo on Thursday.

“Grey wolves are an iconic Canadian species that can be found across the country, including right here in Manitoba,” said Dr. Chris Enright, Senior Director of Zoological Operations, Assiniboine Park Zoo. “Unfortunately, fear and misunderstanding have led to instances of human-wolf conflict and, in some cases, overhunting. Educating people about the critical role keystone species like wolves play in their ecosystems and why they should be protected is an important part of what we do here at the zoo.”

The grey wolves are the latest in a long string of new animals to be introduced to zoo visitors since last fall, including three red pandas, a great horned owl and and scarlet ibis, among many others.

The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.