The Argentine polar bear is not coming to Winnipeg

Arturo is not coming to Winnipeg.

Don Peterkin, CEO of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said in a press release Wednesday afternoon that it is not possible to get a permit for the bear to come to Winnipeg.

“After a great deal of cooperation, it looks like Arturo will not be allowed to import into Canada,” he said.

According to Peterkin, zoo officials told their colleagues at the Mendoza Zoo that they needed to meet the requirements of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in order to get an import permit.

But he said that would mean he would have to provide Argentine officials with medical records from at least three years ago.

Peterkin Mendoza's representatives said that these documents were not available, so the case was closed.

“There are very strict rules for bringing an animal into Canada,” he said in a press release. “These regulations are designed to ensure the health and welfare of animals and animal-related industries, so without proper medical records, necessary permits cannot be obtained.”

On Wednesday, a Winnipeg woman hoped Arturo would come to Winnipeg to live at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, which she spent months lobbying for.

St Boniface University professor Maria Arentsen said she was delighted that vets and biologists were examining the 28-year-old animal this weekend to make sure it was fit to travel.

According to Peterkin, Winnipeg Zoo staff will meet via Skype on Friday, February 7, the same day as Arturo's medical exam, to help assess Arturo's health.

He said Winnipeg has offered to send a member of its veterinary team to Mendoza to assess the bear's environment and provide advice on how to improve it if necessary.