The Toronto Zoo said it had to say goodbye to a longtime resident — a 25-year-old Grizzly Bear named Samson.
The Zoo said on April 10, a tough decision was made to euthanize Samson after he came out of hibernation with progressive arthritic changes to his hips and knees and was experiencing stiffness and discomfort.
Samson was heavily relying on pain management medication and the Zoo said his care team had made the unanimous decision “as to not prolong any suffering.”
“After enjoying a special meal of salmon, watermelon, and berries, he voluntarily presented his hip and shoulder for his last anesthetic injection from the veterinary team, just as he had practiced daily for most of his life,” the Zoo said in a statement.
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“He will be missed dearly.”
Samson had arrived to the Toronto Zoo in 1998 at around six months old. He was born in Alaska and was found by Alaskan officials wandering with no mother and malnourished, the Zoo said.
Samson joined Shintay, a female Grizzly, and spent more than two decades “in their Canadian Domain habitat running around together and wrestling for their favourite enrichment items.”
The Zoo called Samson an amazing and gentle bear even at his impressive size of just over 1,000 pounds. Care staff said they were constantly impressed by his intelligence and motivation when training for new behaviours.
“Our hearts go out to all those who had the privilege of working with him during his many years at our Zoo.”