The Wildlife Act

• Polar bears have historically always had some form of protection in Manitoba since they are wildlife within the meaning of The Wildlife Act, ie., wild by nature in Manitoba.
• Hunting and killing of polar bear was first prohibited in 1949 when hunting was limited to bona fide residents of the Hudson Bay coastal area.
• In 1954, natives were prohibited from selling or otherwise disposing of polar bears or parts thereof and any person other than a native was prohibited from being in possession of a polar bear or any part thereof.
• In 1963, the polar bear was listed as Big Game under Division 1 of the Act. This listing occurred primarily to be consistent with other large mammals that have usually been viewed as being a big game species. Manitoba has never had a sport hunting or trapping season for polar bears despite this classification.
• In 1991, the status of the species in Schedule A to the Act was changed from Big Game to Protected Species. This change in status did not confer any additional protection, but was intended to convey that this was not a huntable species in Manitoba. The change was also consistent with the interprovincial, national and international status of the species.

Policy 10/14 "Donation of Polar Bears to Zoos"

• Policy and procedures respecting the donation of polar bears to zoos were approved in 1998. The policy was developed by a committee that included representatives from Assiniboine Park Zoo, Manitoba Agriculture Veterinary Services Branch, and Manitoba Conservation. Zoo Check and the Manitoba Humane Society were invited to participate but declined.
• Holding facility and husbandry standards are specified in the policy and have been widely hailed as among the best standards in the world. Manitoba Conservation receives several requests a year for our standards from zoos that are building or upgrading polar bear facilities.
• The policy recognizes the contribution of zoos to wildlife conservation and conservation education and that zoos with appropriate facilities and husbandry practices can provide an acceptable quality of life for polar bears.
• The policy specifies that only orphaned cubs will be donated to zoos, that cubs will not be captured specifically for donation to zoos, and that animals will only be donated to zoos that meet or exceed the specified standards. No polar bears have available for donation to zoos since 1996.
• Procedures further require that the receiving zoo must enter into a contractual obligation to maintain the required facilities for the life of the bear, register with and provide updates to the International and North American Polar Bear Studbooks, provide Manitoba Conservation with reports on physical and behavioral health and to ensure that if the bear or offspring are transferred, the new facility also meets or exceeds the specified standards.
• All costs are the responsibility of the recipient zoo.

The Polar Bear Protection Act

The Polar Bear Protection Act, was given Royal Assent on August 2, 2002. The act;