A polar bear killed his female partner at the Detroit Zoo while the animals were attempting to breed, officials said.
Anana, a 20-year-old white-furred beast who came to the zoo in January 2020, was attacked and killed by 16-year-old Nuka, according to Scott Carter, the Detroit Zoological Society’s chief life sciences officer. Nuka has lived at the zoo since 2011. Zoological society officials said the bear had never shown “harmful behavior” during past mating rituals.
“This was completely unexpected and the Detroit Zoo staff is devastated by the loss of Anana in this sudden and tragic event,” Carter said in a statement, according to The Detroit News.
Anana was introduced to Nuka in late March. Both had lived together without incident throughout most of 2020. They were separated for a few months and then reengaged again only days ago, The News reported.
“After being apart for several months, Nuka and Anana were reintroduced last week as part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Polar Bear Species Survival Plan,” zoo officials said.
In a statement Tuesday, Dan Ashe, president and CEO at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, called the death “tragic.”
“Each year, the professionals at AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos carefully and successfully implement hundreds of scientific breeding recommendations to help maintain populations of the planet’s most endangered animals,” he said. “There is always risk, and Anana’s loss is a reminder.”
The last time an animal killed another at the zoo was 33 years ago, also an incident involving polar bears.
Male polar bears can reach nearly 1,000 pounds, while females range about half that size. Polar bears are considered a vulnerable species with their populations in severe decline. The zoo credited the cooperative population management and conservation program after Nuka recently fathered twin cubs.
The mother of the cubs, Suka, is in a private maternity den with one of them.
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