Science North animal ambassador passes on after life educating visitors
Science North said goodbye to one of its most iconic ambassadors on Friday. Saunders the striped skunk passed away yesterday after almost a decade in Sudbury.
After his arrival in 2013, Saunders quickly became a resident favourite and helped educate visitors about the animal’s incredible ability to adapt.
"Science North Bluecoats and visitors are mourning the loss of a great animal ambassador…Our veterinarians and Animal Care Team monitored his health closely for the past several months," wrote Science North on social media.
"Saunders has been an iconic animal ambassador at Science North since 2013 and has inspired and mesmerized visitors from around the world."
In an Instagram Post, the centre’s bluecoats shared a remembrance video of the striped critter along with some little known facts that reveal just how great an impact he had.
"Saunders was the first ever skunk I had ever seen up-close in real life. (We don't have skunks in Australia) Meeting Saunders is one of many favourite memories of visiting Science North," wrote user ‘og.ray.ray’ in the post’s comments.
At just one year old, he was adopted from the Saunders Country Critters Zoo in Oxford Station, Ont. but staff made sure his hometown would remain part of his identity.
"He has helped educate many people about skunks' amazing adaptations that make them exceptional nocturnal foragers and one of the most resilient animals in our Northern ecosystems," read the post.
"Saunders enjoyed his target training and walks around the science centre and any enrichment items that involved eating a cockroach."
Saunders will be greatly missed by the city’s residents and all at Science North. Bluecoats are celebrating the Sudbury skunk by inviting visitors from around the world to share their memories of him.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.