TORONTO, ON Wednesday, November 9, 2016: Today, the Toronto Zoo hosted a First Bear-thday Celebration for our female polar bear cub, Juno, who will be turning one on Friday, November 11, 2016. When Juno was introduced to the public in February, she received a special honorary ranking of Private by the Canadian Army, who officially adopted Juno at that time. Today, the Toronto Zoo is very excited to announce our growing female polar bear cub has reached a new milestone on her first birthday and was promoted by the Canadian Army from Honorary Private to the prestigious ranking of Honorary Corporal. As part of the celebration, Juno received an ice cake with her favourite vegetables and fish, which featured the Corporal image.
At 12 months old Juno is now offered access to the large polar bear habitat and enjoys swimming in the big bear pool. She is a natural swimmer and diver and she enjoys exploring the large polar bear habitat. Juno now receives vegetables as part of her diet, and carrots are her favourite. Americas Zoo Keepers continue to work on integrating Juno into the behavioural husbandry program that our adult bears participate in, which includes training.
The name Juno, which started out as a nickname, was confirmed as the official name for the Toronto Zoo’s female polar bear cub in February 2016. Since Juno was born on Remembrance Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2015, Toronto Zoo Staff gave her this nickname in honour of ‘Juno Beach’. The Canadian landings on the Juno Beach Sector of the Normandy coast were one of the most successful operations carried out on D-Day, during World War II. Zoo staff made the nickname official, as it embodies Canadian pride which is fitting as polar bears are Canada’s national treasures. Toronto Zoo is Canada’s national leader in saving wildlife, including polar bear populations, to ensure the rich diversity of nature for future generations.
“Juno the polar bear, as the official mascot of the Canadian Army, has matured significantly over the past year. No longer requiring significant assistance to survive, she is – like our Canadian Soldier – Strong, Proud and Ready. Her transfer into the general polar bear population marks a significant milestone on her journey to self-sufficiency. By conferring upon her the rank of Honorary Corporal, we are reaffirming her affiliation with our Army, of Polar Bears with our Nation, and of the Toronto Zoo as a leading institution in the preservation of this proud species worldwide,” said Brigadier-General Stephen Cadden, the Commander of 4th Canadian Division.
The now one year old cub represents a heartwarming journey of survival, one where expert Toronto Zoo Wildlife Health and Wildlife Care staff worked around the clock to save a vulnerable species. Juno, just like her brothers Hudson and Humphrey, are great Arctic Ambassadors for polar bears everywhere. These ambassadors help to spread the word on how each person can make a difference and help save this vulnerable species and raise awareness about how our daily actions are contributing to climate change and impacting polar bears through the melting of the Arctic sea ice. The Toronto Zoo's Tundra Trek is home to the Zoo's five polar bears, Aurora, Nikita, Hudson, Humphrey and Juno. The Tundra Trek area of the Zoo focuses on climate change and its effects on species conservation.
"The Toronto Zoo's mandate is conservation, education and research and this includes a strong link with the community," said Maria Franke, Curator of Mammals, Toronto Zoo. We are honoured the Canadian Army has partnered with the Zoo by adopting Juno and assisting us in spreading the word about the plight of polar bears and inspiring the community to take action."
As a leader in conservation and species survival, the Toronto Zoo is involved in collaborative research projects with multiple accredited zoos and organizations to help better understand polar bear reproductive biology, nutrition, and provide valuable information to support polar bear education, research and conservation efforts in the wild. These organizations include Polar Bears International (PBI), Parks Canada, the North American Species Survival Program (SSP), York University, University of Guelph and Acres for the Atmosphere.
