BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) — Officials of Miller Park Zoo in central Illinois say their 33-year-old Malayan sun bear has been euthanized.
Officials at the Bloomington zoo said this week the bear, named Candy, died last Thursday after animal care staff and a veterinarian from the University of Illinois evaluated her. Initial findings showed the bear suffered from renal failure and medical workers determined she was in grave condition. A necropsy is being performed at the University of Illinois. Results won’t be available for several weeks.
Candy was born at Zoo Miami in 1984. She came to Bloomington in 1998 along with her mate Chapin, who died in 2010 from bone cancer. Experts say the median life expectancy for a female Malayan sun bear is just more than 23 years.
