Male polar bear kills female bear during breeding effort at Detroit Zoo

Male polar bear kills female bear during breeding effort at Detroit Zoo

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The female Anana, who was 20 years old, and the man Nuka (16) lived without incident in 2020 and the zoo officials say they are surprised and devastated by what happened.

“It was completely unexpected, and the staff at Detroit Zoo was devastated by the loss of Anana,” said Scott Carter, head of Life Sciences, Detroit Zoological Society.

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According to the zoological society, Nuka lived in the zoo for ten years without ever showing harmful behavior towards female polar bears.

Anana lived in the zoo for just over a year. The bears were reintroduced last week after several months of separation as part of a conservation program designed to protect the endangered species.

“The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)’s survival plan for polar bear species is a collaborative population management and conservation program that helps ensure the sustainability of healthy captive animal populations,” it said.

According to the organization, the program was successful through the recent birth of twin cubs whose parents are Nuka and 8-year-old Suka.

The last time an animal was killed by another animal in the zoo was in 1988. The incident also involved polar bears, according to the release.

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