With less than a day to go, 2016 has claimed another great.
The Denver Zoo reports that Tenzing the Asiatic bear has died. She was 31.
The announcement says Tenzing was "exhibiting an acute decline in her overall quality of life due to complications related to old age" and was euthanized at the zoo today. She was the last of her kind at the Denver Zoo.
“This is always just so sad. Tenzing has been a member of our zoo family for almost 30 years. She was such an amazing bear and like many, had her fun quirks,” Denver Zoo Assistant Curator of Carnivores Steve Venne said in a statement. “We’ll always have fond memories of her climbing her tree to relax and get some sun. We’re really going to miss her.”
Tenzing lived a good long life for her species, which according to the Denver Zoo has a median life span of 29.3 years. She was born at Germany’s Koln Zoo on Jan. 8, 1985, and moved to the Denver Zoo in December of 1987.
The zoo says it does not plan to take in any more Asiatic bears and is working on new plans for that space.
Here's the full statement and a very sweet photo:
