The Assiniboine Park Zoo has shared the last wolf in its care has passed away.
Bear, who was 15, was the lone survivor of a pack of five that used to live together at the zoo.
In a post on social media Thursday, the zoo said his care team started to notice that one of Bear’s legs was lame.
“Sadly, it was confirmed his leg was broken. While the cause is unknown, older animals, like older humans, can experience loss of strength, mobility, balance, vision, and hearing over time, which can make them more susceptible to injury from stumbles or falls,” the post said.
The zoo noted if Bear was younger, resetting the break would have been the course of action, but due to his age, it wasn’t a possibility.
“It was determined that euthanasia was the most compassionate and humane course of action given Bear’s advanced age and overall condition. Such decisions are always difficult and made very carefully.”
Bear arrived at the zoo in 2014 with the rest of the pack and he was described as a caring wolf who liked the smelliest scents and finding the best places to hide his stash.
“Over the past year, the care team was dedicated to providing Bear with meaningful days and he did really well as a lone wolf. Through positive reinforcement training, his primary trainer Dustin worked with Bear to build trust and new behaviours that supported his care and provided social and mental enrichment. Bear was the only wolf to master injection training, which speaks to his character, the devotion of his trainers, and proves you can teach an old dog new tricks.”
The zoo said it is working to bring new wolves in and will provide more details at a later date.
