A female polar bear living in the Detroit Zoo was killed by her partner in a breeding attempt that went horribly awry Monday.
The bear, Anana, was placed in the zoo in January 2020 and was introduced to the male bear, Nuka, in March, the zoo said in a statement.
The animals lived together for part of last year ‘without an accident’ before being separated from each other for a few months, the zoo said.
They were reunited last week as part of a “polar bear survival plan” – and the tragedy occurred when 16-year-old Nuka killed Anana (20) while trying to breed with her.
“It was completely unexpected and the staff at Detroit Zoo was devastated by the loss of Anana in this sudden and tragic event,” said Scott Carter of the Detroit Zoological Society.
“The Detroit Zoo has not experienced the death of one animal by another for decades; the last event was also with polar bears in 1988, ”he added.
Nuka has lived in the Detroit Zoo since 2011 and has lived and bred with other female bears without harming them, the zoo says.