Oldest Polar Bear in U.S., Philadelphia’s Klondike, Dead at 34

It has been four days since the Philadelphia Zoo announced on Facebook that one of their favorite residents, Polar Bear ambassador Klondike, had to be humanely euthanized. Today, people are still mourning the loss of the oldest known Polar Bear in the United States. Klondike died at the age of 34 and was one of the zoo's most popular inhabitants.

According the Philadelphia Zoo's Polar Bear Fact Sheet, these majestic animals are only supposed to live an average of 23 years. The zoo is obviously doing something right, because Coldilocks, Klondike's long-time exhibit mate, has now taken up the mantle as oldest known Polar Bear in the U.S. currently. Coldilocks is also 34.

Klondike came to the Philadelphia Zoo in 1981 shortly after her birth in 1980 at Seneca Park Zoo located in Rochester, New York. Coldilocks arrived around the same time and they have shared an exhibit ever since. Three decades later, Coldilocks continues to entertain her visitors alone.

The zoo came to the difficult decision to let the bear go after what their Facebook page called a "recent and substantial decline in her medical condition." After a time, it became difficult for Klondike to stand or walk after lying down. The zoo's Facebook page continued, saying that, "Given her advanced age and poor prognosis, zoo staff decided the best decision would be to humanely euthanize her."

Economic Times quoted Kevin Murphy, the general curator for Philadelphia Zoo, as saying, "We are very sad for this loss. Klondike was a very popular resident at Philadelphia Zoo, In addition to the joy she brought guests over more than three decades, she has been an important ambassador to wild polar bears, who are increasingly threatened by climate change and resulting shrinkage of polar ice"

One can only hope that her long life has helped to educate people to the global threats she helped to advocate. Either way Klondike's life was a long and happy one. What more could one ask?