Klondike, the Philadelphia Zoo's iconic and much loved polar bear, was euthanized on Friday, the zoo announced on its Facebook page.
"We are very sad for this loss - Klondike was a very popular resident at Philadelphia Zoo. In addition to the joy she brought our staff and guests over three decades here, she has been an important ambassador to wild polar bears, who are increasingly threatened by climate change and resulting shrinkage of polar ice. We hope she has inspired many to make commitments in their daily lives to reduce energy and water use, which will contribute to efforts to slow climate change," said Philadelphia Zoo General Curator Kevin Murph, according to ABC Action News.
Klondike was born at the Bronx Zoo in November 1980 and moved to the Philadelphia Zoo a year later, where she lived with another female polar bear, Coldilocks.
The zoo said Klondike, 34, displayed deteriorating health over the past two weeks, including difficulty standing and walking. Veterinarians treated her for urinary tract infections without much success. Due to her advanced age and poor prognosis for returning to a good quality of life, the decision to euthanize Klondike was made, reports Philly.com.
Polar bears normally have a life span of about 24 years in captivity. At 34, Klondike was the oldest polar bear in the U.S. With her death, her companion Coldilocks, also 34, now becomes the nation's oldest polar bear, according to the Associated Press.
