SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Carnie and Carnella, the Caribou Carnival's cartoon mascots, lost their furry clothing some time in the last year. Three Yellowknife residents found the fuzzy costumes last weekend.

Vanessa Gillis, in lion garb, and Thomas Whittaker, in a caribou cow costume, maul the headless shell of the Caribou Carnival's Carnie the Caribou mascot. The friends found the three costumes in a pile in the bush last weekend. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Geraldine Maloney, Vanessa Gillis and Thomas Whittaker discovered the furry jumpsuits in the bush beside the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

Caribou Carnival director Rick Poltaruk was amused and confounded when he learned of the curious find earlier this week. Prior to this year's spring carnival, which ran from March 18 to 21, Poltaruk and his team of volunteers searched for the costumes in storage but only found the mascots' oversized caribou heads. Everything below the necks was missing and the heads were badly worn from years of wear and tear.

The missing costumes provided an opportunity for a much needed upgrade. Poltaruk sent Carnie and Carnella's heads to International Mascots in Edmonton to have them refurbished and refitted with new and improved antlers and new bodies late last winter.

"We ended up with two very wonderful caribou costumes," Poltaruk said. "Out of their nakedness came an incredible new look."

The made-over mascots debuted on Franklin Avenue to meet and greet the public a week before the carnival, fully garbed in fresh faux fur, bright brand new suspenders and comically-oversized boots. The new costumes are lighter and more durable than the old outfits.

In addition to the missing caribou costumes, Maloney, Gillis and Whittaker also found a lion costume. Poltaruk said the lion costume may once have been part of the Caribou Carnival gear, as well. He said he found a variety of costume parts in storage, including portions of a raccoon costume.

"At one point carnival organizers must have thought of having a parade of animals," Poltaruk said. "We don't even have raccoons up here, do we?"

Gillis and Whittaker brought the old costumes out of the bush and washed them last Sunday. When asked what they plan to do with their new costumes, the friends replied: "We're going to have a parade."

That is what they did. They toured around Yellowknife on their bikes clothed in artificial caribou fur.

"They're welcome to have the old costumes," Poltaruk said. "I think it would be great to have a parade of these fuzzy little animals."

Poltaruk is planning to pull off another big community celebration this summer. A revitalized Raven Mad Daze is being organized to fill downtown Yellowknife with fun, family-friendly entertainment on June 18.

"It's been dead for two years but we're bringing it back new and revamped," Poltaruk said.