Ann, last grizzly bear at Little Rock Zoo, dies
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Officials with the Little Rock Zoo announced Friday that their last grizzly bear, Ann, died early Thursday morning.
Zoo officials said that Ann died in her sleep from suspected heart failure. She was estimated to be 33 years old, according to the zoo.
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In a social post, a spokesperson with the zoo said that her passing marks the end of an era. In 1992, the Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator of the Department of the Interior issued a bulletin asking any accredited zoo facility to take Ann and her sister Nona.
The Little Rock Zoo accepted the two sister bears, and several months later, they arrived in Arkansas. “The Grizzly Girls” were greeted with a teddy bear parade, and zoo officials said that they were a favorite for more than three decades.
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Zoo staff said that Ann will be remembered for her sweet personality. Her sister, Nona, died earlier this year due to cancer. Nona was also estimated to be 33 years old, zoo officials said.
Representatives with the zoo said that they do not have plans to acquire additional grizzly bears at this time.
Less than 55,000 bears are remaining in the wild, and The Little Rock Zoo hosts an annual Bear Awareness Week every year to raise awareness for wild bear conservation.
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