Berlin, the Oldest Polar Bear in U.S. Captivity, Dead at 33: She Was 'Smart and Sassy'
Kansas City Zoo Berlin, the polar bear
The Kansas City Zoo family is mourning the death of Berlin, the oldest polar bear in U.S. captivity. She was 33.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page over the weekend, the Missouri zoo revealed that due to the animal's declining health, Berlin's caretakers made the difficult decision to euthanize the polar bear.
"Berlin had been experiencing hypertension and renal failure, and treatment options had been exhausted, so the difficult decision to euthanize her was made," the statement said.
Berlin was born at the Cincinnati Zoo on December 11, 1989, just one month after the Berlin Wall came down, prompting her unique name. The bear moved to Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, Minnesota, and was a resident when it flooded, famously swimming to the wall of her habitat and waiting until staff found her.
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She temporarily stayed at Como Zoo in Saint Paul and arrived at her forever home in Kansas City in December 2012.
The polar bear was a favorite at the zoo, with the staff describing her as "smart and sassy."
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"Berlin was a beloved ambassador for her species and helped contribute to research that has benefited the wild polar bear population," the statement from the zoo said.
Berlin was the oldest polar bear in human care in the United States — and perhaps in North America — according to the Kansas City Zoo, which is "a testament to the extraordinary care she received from her animal care and veterinary health teams."
