Elderly female polar bear 'Tundra' dies at Detroit Zoo

Bear was 29-years-old

The Detroit Zoo announced Monday the passing of their eldest polar bear, Tundra, who lived 29 years.

The zoo says Tundra appeared seriously ill on Sunday morning and was examined by veterinarians.

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Her health continued to decline, which lead the zoo to make the "difficult but humane" decision to euthanize the elderly polar bear.

At 29, Tundra was one of the oldest bears in captivity. Polar bears have an average life span of 15-28 years in the wild, and 21-24 years in zoos.

"We are happy we were able to provide Tundra with a great home for the short period of time she was with us. She was a favorite of Detroit Zoo visitors who loved watching her enjoy the 300,000-gallon pool at the Arctic Ring of Life. Our hearts go out to the animal care staff and visitors – both in Detroit and Indianapolis – who knew and loved her."

 

We are saddened to share the news that Tundra, a 29-year-old female polar bear at the Detroit Zoo, has passed away. The...

Posted by Detroit Zoo on Monday, September 26, 2016

About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.