Quebec walruses coming to Vancouver Aquarium
Lakina and Balzak believed to be first live full-term baby walruses to be born in captivity in Canada
Two young walruses whose births sparked headlines last year will be moving from Quebec City to Vancouver.
The Aquarium du Quebec says Lakina and Balzak will be transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium in the coming weeks.
They were delivered days apart in the spring of 2016 and are believed to be the first live full-term baby walruses to be born in captivity in Canada.
Experts says pregnancies among captive walruses are extremely rare and only a handful of babies born in North America have survived past one year.
The Quebec aquarium says the move will make more room for its adult walruses.
Some people have posted concerns online, arguing that the young walruses are still nursing.
Vancouver Aquarium has acquired "Lakina" & "Balzak," a pair of 1 Year Old Walrus Calves, from Aquarium du Québec. In the wild, Walrus calves accompany their mother from birth and are not weaned for 2 years or more. <a href="https://t.co/TyqckgHaEu">pic.twitter.com/TyqckgHaEu</a>
—@Quad_FinnOfficials say they're still working out the details of the transfer, which could be completed before Christmas.
The introduction of new animals to the Vancouver Aquarium comes on the heels of a recent death of an animal there.
Last month, Chester, a false killer whale, which is a species of dolphin, died in captivity.
On Friday, the aquarium said the cause of his death was a bacterial infection.
As a precaution, the aquarium's last living cetacean, a Pacific white-sided dolphin named Helen, is being treated with antibiotics.
Right now, the Vancouver Aquarium does not have any walruses at its Stanley Park facility.
With files from Canadian Press.