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Detroit Zoo photo
Tundra, 29, one of the oldest polar bears in captivity, passed away on Monday at the Detroit Zoo, the zoo announced on Facebook.
"We are saddened to share the news that Tundra, a 29-year-old female polar bear at the Detroit Zoo, has passed away. The elderly bear arrived here in June to live out the remainder of her life after the Indianapolis Zoo permanently closed its polar bear exhibit.
Tundra appeared seriously ill on Sunday morning and was examined by our veterinarians, but the cause of her illness was not evident on examination. Staff were with her through the night and by this morning it was apparent she was continuing to decline and her quality of life was significantly diminished. We made the difficult but humane decision to euthanize her this morning. A necropsy will be performed to try to understand the cause of her decline.
At 29, Tundra was one of the oldest polar bears in captivity. Polar bears have an average life span of 15-18 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."
