A beloved polar bear turned five this week at the Toronto Zoo and to celebrate the milestone, the Canadian Army has named it an honorary Master Corporal. There even was a small ceremony Tuesday as Brig. Gen. Conrad Mialkowski, commander of 4th Canadian Division and Joint Task Force Central, visited the zoo to give Juno the polar bear his high honor.
"We are truly honored that the Canadian Army has promoted Juno to master corporal as she continues to be an outstanding ambassador for her counterparts in wild," Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong said in a news release. "Juno and the other polar bears that call the Toronto Zoo home, play an integral role in educating our guests about the direct impact of climate change and the loss of sea ice that directly impacts polar bears in the wild."
Juno is special to the Canadian Army, as he was born on Remembrance Day, the Canadian holiday for honoring members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty. He was named after the invasion of Juno Beach in World War II.
The bear was previously named an honorary private by the Army, before later being promoted to honorary corporal.
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