Yesterday morning one of our dearest polar bears was found deceased.
Here at Midland Zoo, we offer an exhibition of polar bears which is one of our most common exhibits. Yukon is a 9-year-old male, McKenzie is a 10-year-old female, and our eldest polar bear is Homer who was 16-years-old. Homer was loved dearly by our staff as well as the public here at Midland. “Homer was a very curious and playful polar bear and we will miss him terribly,” says zookeeper, Sara N. Getty.
Homer was found floating in the pool of the polar bear exhibit shortly following feeding. Here at Midland we pride ourselves on animal welfare and preservation of species, so we are working tirelessly to find Homer’s exact cause of death. There have been 2 other animals to pass here at the zoo within the month but these deaths are unrelated.
Here at Midland we have always taken great care of our polar bears especially. Our exhibit does all that it can to try and simulate what the life of an undomesticated polar bear would actually be like, allowing them to engage in natural behaviors. They are allowed to play in manufactured snow, dig through gravel, and hunt fish just as wild polar bears are able to. The exhibit we have for our polar bears is unique and allows them to truly thrive.
Homer will be greatly missed and we are doing everything in our power to make sure Midland is a safe environment for all of our animals.
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