Inside courtroom College protests Start the day smarter ☀️ Bird colors explained
NEWS
Philadelphia Zoo

USA's oldest polar bear, Klondike, euthanized at 34 in Philadelphia Zoo

AP

Big Cat Crossing opens at Philadelphia Zoo

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Zoo says the oldest polar bear in the United States has died. It says Klondike was 34 years old.

Polar bear Klondike, left, enjoys a frozen shank bone as Coldilocks stands nearby in the midday heat at the Philadelphia Zoo, in Philadelphia in 2006.

Klondike was one of the zoo's two polar bears. The zoo announced on its Facebook page Klondike was euthanized Friday morning due to a "recent and substantial decline in her medical condition." It says Klondike had trouble standing and walking and didn't respond to treatment.

Zoo officials say Klondike brought joy to the staff and was an "important ambassador to wild polar bears."

Klondike arrived at the zoo more than 30 years ago.

Report: Polar bear survival depends on cutting greenhouse gases

International Polar Bear Day

The zoo's remaining polar bear, Coldilocks, also is 34 years old and becomes the nation's oldest polar bear.

Children visiting the Philadelphia Zoo try to get the attention of Klondike, one of the zoo's polar bears, as she plays with a ball in the pool of her enclosure in 2005.

10Best Readers' Choice: Best Zoo Exhibit

Featured Weekly Ad