Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat offers private tours to attract tourists

Henry the polar bear, seen at the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, shows a family from Toronto how much he enjoys eating watermelon. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News)

The Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat has joined with the Cochrane Tourism Association to provide private guided tours of the facility.

The initiative gives people a chance to learn about polar bears and how climate change affects them while observing the creatures within the enclosure.

“Before they might go extinct -- because of climate change and how endangered they are -- I’m happy to actually see them," said Kaaviayaa Mauyuran, who travelled with her parents from Toronto to learn more about polar bears in person.

Her family booked the Journey into Polar Bear Care experience via the Tourism Cochrane Association, which acts like a travel agent to pair visitors with local attractions.

“We want to really connect and make it a reality -- make what we’re promoting on that website a reality," said Renee Vezeau Beulieu, chair of the Cochrane Tourism Association.

The manager of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat said eco-tourism and edu-tourism is what she's interested in offering people.

“We absolutely want to bring guests in," said Amy Baxendell-Young.

"We want them to learn, we want them to have a great experience but it’s always going to be about our morals; our values and our bears are always going to be No. 1 and the tourism association is very supportive of that."

Participants on the tour learn about how the bears are looked after, including a peek at where the bears sleep and the food they eat.

“Just to see them like kind of in this natural environment, to actually see them without the cages was just an amazing experience that I’ll never forget," said Mayuran Tharmakulasingam, from Toronto.

This particular tour at the habitat gives people a chance to ask the bear keepers any questions they might have about polar bears in hopes to encourage them to learn not only about the preservation of polar bears, but also to gain newfound respect for all animals.