WINNIPEG — A beloved polar bear billed by the Assiniboine Park Zoo as the oldest in the world has died at the age of 42.
Zoo officials announced Monday evening that Debby was euthanized earlier in the day, “surrounded by her caring zookeepers and veterinarians.”
The decision to end her life was made just hours after a veterinary exam discovered the ailing bear had suffered multiple organ failure.
Up until Monday, Debby was described as being “alert and active.”
Her loss marks the end of an era for the zoo.
“Debby was without a doubt the most famous animal in the Assiniboine Park Zoo’s history,” zoo co-ordinator Gordon Glover said in a statement.
“Her uncanny ability to strike magnificent and charming poses resulted in her being featured in countless photographs, films and media stories. She will be missed.”
Zoo officials disclosed in the summer that the bear’s time was near.
She had suffered a series of small strokes, had blood in her urine and was losing weight rapidly.
The report of her failing health was picked up by new services around the world, “demonstrating the remarkable popularity of this particular bear,” the statement from the zoo said.
About 18 million zoo visitors had seen Debby, making the bear the most popular attraction in the zoo’s 104-year history, curator Bob Wrigley said in August.
Born in the Russian Arctic in 1966, Debby arrived at the zoo as an orphaned cub in 1967, producing six offspring with her mate, Skipper.
When Debby was 41 years old, she was entered into Guinness World Records 2008 as the oldest living polar bear.
Her death means the province famous for being the “polar bear capital of the world” and a world leader in polar-bear conservation will not have a single member of the charismatic species in its largest zoo.
The polar bear enclosure no longer meets Manitoba Conservation standards for housing polar bears, so the zoo will not be able to replace its star attraction with another polar bear.
No immediate upgrades are planned for the aging facility.