Oldest Captive Polar Bear In US Euthanized After Being Diagnosed With An Incurable Illness

America's oldest polar bear 'Berlin' who lived at the Kansas City Zoo has died, according to a statement from zoo officials. The 33-year-old bear who lived at the zoo in Missouri for around 10 years, was euthanized on January 11 after zoo staff discovered it was suffering from incurable renal failure, Metro reported. 

According to the zoo, she was the oldest captive bear in the US and possibly North America. As per the zoo's Facebook page, Berlin had been experiencing hypertension and renal failure. Treatment for her was exhausted, and the difficult decision to euthanize her was chosen.  

Remembering 'Berlin', Kansas City Zoo posted an update on its Facebook page and wrote, ''The Kansas City Zoo is mourning the loss of 33-year-old polar bear Berlin, who resided here for a decade. Berlin was the oldest polar bear in human care in the United States, and perhaps in North America, which is a testament to the extraordinary care she received from her animal care and veterinary health teams. Berlin had been experiencing hypertension and renal failure, and treatment options had been exhausted so the difficult decision to euthanize her was made yesterday morning.'' 

See the post here:

''Berlin was a beloved ambassador for her species and helped contribute to research that has benefited the wild polar bear population. Her animal care specialists commended her big personality and described her as "smart and sassy" and say she gave all of her caregivers "a run for their money! Berlin will be dearly missed by her Zoo family, including staff, volunteers, and guests", the post further read. 

Zookeepers also said it will make its annual contribution from the Zoo's Conservation Fund to Polar Bears International in memory of Berlin this year.  

The bear was born on December 11, 1989, a month after the Berlin Wall fell, and that's how it got its unusual name. The bear initially resided at Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, Minnesota. However, when it flooded, it swam to the perimeter wall of her habitat to wait for the staff to help her. It was then moved to Como Zoo in Saint Paul and arrived in Kansas City in December 2012. 

Polar bears are known to live around 15 to 18 years in the wild and more than 23 years on average in captivity, making Berlin's death rare.