A bear at the Buffalo zoo had to be euthanized this past Sunday. The Zoo says a 22-year-old Kodiak bear named Toby was being treated with anti-inflammatory medications for aged related degenerative joint disease.
“While the majority of our bears are certainly showing signs of age-related issues, the Buffalo Zoo remains committed to providing high quality care for them for the duration of their lives,” said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, President/CEO of the Buffalo Zoo. “All of our bears are beloved by our staff and visitors. Toby, especially, will always have a special place in our hearts and will be greatly missed.”
Last year the Zoo removed the bear from public exhibit to keep him more comfortable. But his condition worsened and the Zoo says that's when it made the difficult decision to euthanize him.
Toby arrived at the Buffalo Zoo in 2002.
Estimated to have been born in 1990, Toby was placed at the Olympic Game Farm in
Washington State. He was later transferred to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in
Montana in August 1993 where he was housed with Fred, a grizzly bear.
Toby and Fred both came to the Buffalo Zoo in 2002 so that the Grizzly & Wolf
Discovery Center would have room to house four “nuisance” bears including a mother
and cubs. Brown bears that reside at accredited zoos are considered to be a rescue
population. If they breed in captivity, this prevents orphaned or nuisance brown bears
from being rescued in the wild since there would be no space for them in zoos.
While bears are typically solitary in nature, Toby and Fred had become used to being
around one another. At the Buffalo Zoo, Toby and Fred resided in the same exhibit and
delighted visitors, who loved watching them play together in their pool. Fred was
euthanized in 2010 after age-related neurological changes resulted in paralysis.