COLUMBUS – Officials at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium say adult male polar bear Nanuq has died at the age of 29, having surpassed the life expectancy of a polar bear in captivity by more than eight years.
Nanuq, who came to the zoo in 2012, was euthanized Wednesday after a medical exam confirmed that he had liver cancer, zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf said.
At 29 years old, Nanuq surpassed the 20.7-year median life expectancy for male polar bears in a North American zoo.
“Nanuq was incredibly special to all of us who had the wonderful opportunity to care for him, and we will miss him very much,” said Carrie Pratt, curator of the zoo’s North American region and Polar Frontier habitat. “We take some comfort in knowing that Nanuq’s legacy will live on through his offspring and those he has inspired to help polar bears in their native Arctic range.”
Nanuq sired four litters at the Columbus zoo with females Aurora and Anana, including Nora, who is at the Oregon Zoo, and three cubs, two females and one male, who were born in November, the only polar bear cubs born at North American zoo in 2016.
Nanuq was rescued in Alaska in 1988 and lived at zos in Wisconsin and Buffalo before coming to Columbus.