ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Zoo has lost one of its beloved animals, Teddy the American black bear.
On its Facebook page, the zoo said, "We are deeply saddened that today we bid farewell to our geriatric American Black Bear Teddy."
Teddy, 28, arrived at the Abilene Zoo Sept. 12, 2000, and was known as a "gentle bear with a playful personality."
The post went on to say, "Fondly known by his care team as ‘Teddy Bear’, Teddy helped his species by connecting guests to his counterparts in the wild. Teddy had a long history of abnormal toenail growth that contributed to arthritis in his later years. The Abilene Zoo has been home to bears since the 1970s and we were happy to be a sanctuary for Teddy allowing him to live the last twenty years in a comfortable environment with state of the art healthcare.
In recent days Teddy’s pain due to arthritis became unmanageable. Due to his loss of mobility and very poor prognosis, the animal care team made the difficult decision that humane euthanasia was in his best interest. Here at the Abilene Zoo, we provide the highest standards of animal care for our more than 1,000 animals throughout all life stages and make every effort to ensure that an animal’s last days are humane and dignified. Teddy will be sorely missed by staff, volunteers, and guests of all ages."
The zoo said it will be live on Facebook at 9 a.m. Tuesday to discuss Teddy's time at the Abilene Zoo. Veterinarian Dr. Stephanie Carle and Denise Ibarra, zoo curator, will be speaking.
