This week, the Assiniboine Park Zoo officially opened its new polar bear conservation center, located inside the park zoo grounds. While the facility is now ready for operation, the hopes of zookeepers is that polar bears will not fill the center. Functioning as a rehabilitation institution for orphaned polar bear cubs, the center was created because, realistically, the likelihood of cubs abandoned by their mothers is rather high.

"We could get one next week, we may not see anything until next year," stated zoological director Tim Sinclair-Smith. The structure can accommodate up to 12 cubs in brand new enclosures and an interpretive center full of kid-friendly games and interactive videos that inform visitors of climate change and its impact on the habitats of polar bears.

The International Polar Bear Conservation Center is one part of the Journey to Churchill exhibit, which will celebrate its grand opening by October of 2013. Other animals native to Churchill, Manitoba, will find a home in the massive display, including arctic foxes, musk oxen and more. Guests can visit Churchill to witness the expansion of the arctic wildlife facility and receive the chance to witness the animals in their natural habitat in the wilderness.