Coldilocks, The Oldest Captive Polar Bear In The US, Euthanized

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Philadelphia Zoo

Philadelphia, PA – (NEWS RELEASE / PHILLY ZOO) – Philadelphia Zoo announced today that Coldilocks, a 37-year-old female polar bear, was euthanized due to a recent serious decline in her health. Zoo animal care staff had become increasingly concerned about Coldilocks, as she began showing worsening changes in her behavior and appetite.

Coldilocks had a variety of age related medical issues and as with any aging animal, the veterinary staff worked closely with her caretakers to monitor her quality of life. Making the decision to euthanize an animal is never easy, especially one as beloved as Coldilocks, but after observing her the past week and examining her on Monday morning under anesthesia, they reached a consensus that euthanasia was the most humane option.

Born on December 13, 1980 at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY, Coldilocks arrived at Philadelphia Zoo on October 6, 1981.

At age 37, Coldilocks well surpassed a typical polar bear lifespan of about 23 years, and was the oldest polar bear in the country at the time of her death. During her many years in Philadelphia, Coldilocks remained one of the Zoo’s most cherished animals, delighting people of all ages and at the same time inspiring them to care about polar bears and the conservation issues endangering them.

“We are truly saddened this week – Coldilocks will be greatly missed.” says Dr. Andy Baker, Chief Operating Officer. “Her long and healthy life is a testimony to nutrition and veterinary attention she received, and to the generations of keepers who cared for and about her over her lifetime. For more than three decades, Coldilocks brought attention to the issues facing polar bears in the wild including climate change and its growing negative impact on arctic ice. The Zoo works to share ways in which we all can make small changes in our daily lives to reduce energy use, contributing to efforts to slow climate change,” said Baker.

Philadelphia Zoo works closely with Polar Bears International (PBI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. “We are saddened to hear about Coldilocks,” said Krista Wright, PBI’s executive director. “She lived a long life for a polar bear, which is a tribute to the care she received from the team at the Philadelphia Zoo. Bears like Coldilocks serve as ambassadors for their wild cousins, helping to draw attention to climate change and sea ice loss in the Arctic – and motivating people to act. Unless we reduce the carbon emissions that are causing the planet to warm, we could lose wild bears by the end of the century. We offer our condolences to the zoo staff and Coldilocks’s many fans.” Philadelphia Zoo is making a contribution in honor of Coldilocks to Polar Bear International, and encourages all who appreciated Coldilocks and care about polar bears to do the same in an effort to further PBI’s work to conserve polar bears in the wild. Those wanting to make a donation in Coldilock’s honor should visit http://philadelphiazoo.org/PBIDonate put her name in the honor section and the address should be Philadelphia Zoo.

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