Moving across the country is stressful enough without a profound language barrier thrown into the mix. But when you weigh over a thousand pounds and require a highly structured daily routine clear communication is absolutely essential. That is exactly the fascinating situation unfolding at the Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo this month.
The newest resident of the beloved polar bear exhibit needs a little extra help understanding his new caretakers. The beautiful twenty year old male bear only speaks French. It is a quirky and heartwarming challenge that has captured the attention of animal lovers across the city.
A Very Bilingually Gifted Bear
Yellé has a highly international passport for a prairie transplant. He was originally born in the Netherlands before spending a significant portion of his adult life at Quebec’s Zoo Sauvage de Saint Felicien. During his lengthy stay in Quebec his dedicated care team trained and interacted with him exclusively using French commands.
They built a deep bond based entirely on those specific vocal cues. When the massive animal arrived in our city on March 17 the local staff realized they had an incredibly unique challenge on their hands. They could not simply expect him to understand English overnight.
The team needed to learn his exact language to make him feel completely at home in his new environment. It is a true testament to the incredible lengths these experts will go to for the animals in their care.
Bringing in the Quebec Expert
To ensure a perfectly smooth transition the facility did something completely unexpected. They imported a human translator to bridge the communication gap. A dedicated member of Yellé’s original care team travelled all the way from Quebec to teach the local staff all his specific vocal cues.
This hands on collaboration helps the local experts learn exactly how to communicate with the massive animal while he settles quietly into his mandatory quarantine period. The facility confirmed that their team is slowly starting to incorporate English into his training while still relying heavily on his familiar French words.
“Every step will be guided by careful observation and our knowledge of polar bear behaviour to ensure the safety, comfort and well being of both bears.”
First Impressions Rely on Smell
The ultimate goal of this careful transition is to find a much needed companion for Siku. Siku is the ten year old resident male who tragically lost his enclosure mate Baffin two years ago. The animal care team knows they must handle this upcoming introduction with extreme patience and expertise.
Bears do not say hello with words in any language. The very first language these magnificent Calgary zoo animals speak with each other is scent. The experts will begin the introduction process by simply swapping the bears’ scents between their separated spaces.
Once they get completely comfortable with the new smells they will finally be allowed to see each other through a highly protective physical barrier. Only after passing these careful milestones will the two majestic bears share the same physical space.
A Big Milestone for Local Conservation
This highly anticipated arrival is a massive update for local wildlife news followers who care deeply about animal welfare. Since stepping up as an Arctic Ambassador Centre alongside Polar Bears International the institution has focused heavily on vital climate change education.
Having Yellé and Siku together will help every visitor understand the severe challenges these predators face in a rapidly warming Arctic environment. Their presence brings a distant global issue right into our own backyard.
Families will soon be able to add a visit to the Taylor Family Foundation Polar Bear Sanctuary to their list of spring family activities Calgary. If all the careful scent swapping and French translating goes perfectly according to plan guests will spot Yellé roaming his gorgeous new habitat by April. It seems our city just gained a fantastic new resident who might just teach us all a little French along the way.
