On Christmas Day, the oldest male grizzly bear in a Seattle zoo was slaughtered due to ‘declining mobility’
According to Woodland Park Zoo, Keema, a 28-year-old bear, was humanely terminated on Sunday ‘due to a dramatic decline in his health’
In a blog entry published on Monday, the zoo explained that Keema had been experiencing mobility challenges for some time and had been observed for months, but that the veterinary team had been unable to identify any curable underlying ailments.
His superiors made the “tough decision” to mercifully end his life after he had been taking arthritic medication for some time.
Due to a catastrophic decline in his health, Keema, a 28-year-old bear, was mercifully terminated on Sunday.
Keema had resided at the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo since 1994, having been born in Washington earlier that year.
Keema experienced mobility concerns for a while and had been under monitoring for several months.
Dr. Tim Storms, the zoo’s director of animal health, stated that despite Keema’s tenacity, he has been experiencing a decline in mobility, which is usual among aged animals.
Today, he was obviously in pain and his health had deteriorated dramatically. Today, we were forced to make the agonizing decision to humanely euthanize him.
Keema and his twin brother Denali had resided at the famed zoo for for thirty years. The pair arrived in the zoo at the age of 10 months, having been born in January 1994 at the Washington State University Bear Center.
Denali passed away in late 2020, leaving his twin brother to live his final two years alone.
Due to the absence of females, the duo had been able to coexist without conflict.
In captivity, male grizzly bears have a life expectancy of 21 years, although in the wild, this number is frequently lower.
Kevin Murphy, senior director of animal care at the zoo, stated in the post, ‘The loss of Keema signifies the end of an era.’ Keema and his late twin brother, Denali, captivated our hearts and brains for for three decades.
‘Keema lived a long and fulfilling life thanks to the commitment and competence of his animal keepers and our animal health staff, as well as the kind support of our supporters, members, and community.
Keema had been taking medication for arthritis for long months before to the ‘tough decision’ to end his life humanely.
In captivity, male grizzly bears have a life expectancy of 21 years, and in the wild, it is sometimes shorter.
Prior to Denali’s death in late 2020, Keema and Denali had resided at the popular zoo for nearly three decades.
‘Furthermore, these majestic bears served as ambassadors for grizzlies in the state of Washington, shedding emphasis on the significance of coexisting with bears and other animals in both urban and rural settings.
Keema and Denali will live on in our hearts forever.
It follows the addition of two brown bear cubs named Fern and Juniper to the zoo. In October, Fern, a grizzly bear born last winter in Montana, came at the zoo.
Juniper, a brown bear cub, was discovered roaming near an air force installation in Anchorage, Alaska, last winter. In August, she faced the public for the first time.
»Keema, the 28-year-old grizzly bear at the Seattle zoo, was euthanized on Christmas Day«