RIP Hope: 1985-2009

sabbath999

No longer a newbie, moving up!
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
2,701
Reaction score
69
Location
Missouri
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
From the St. Louis Zoo website:

A saddened staff at the Saint Louis Zoo bid farewell to "Hope," a polar bear at the Saint Louis Zoo. Hope was humanely euthanized on March 30, 2009 after exploratory surgery showed advanced signs of liver cancer.

Hope was 23½ years old, a popular mainstay at the Zoo since she arrived here in 1986. She was born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in November, 1985. In the wild, polar bears live an average life span of 15 to 18 years, and in zoos, the average life span is 20 to 22 years.

Zoo veterinarians anesthetized Hope on March 30 because she had shown decreased appetite and activity in the past several days. When an ultrasound showed various-sized masses in her abdomen, she underwent surgery. Liver cancer was advanced and inoperable.

"Hope was a longtime favorite of her animal care staff and our visitors," said Steve Bircher, curator of carnivores . "She will be greatly missed. She truly enjoyed swimming in her pool, playing with her boomer ball and other enrichment activities and her 4 p.m. feeding.

"We know that Hope held a special place in our community," he added. "We are all saddened by her death."

p872337108-3.jpg


p44169191-3.jpg


p868420188-3.jpg
 

Antarctican

No longer a newbie, moving up!
Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Messages
24,892
Reaction score
77
Location
The Great White North
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Those are lovely pics of Hope that you posted. I'm sure she'll be missed....the polar bears are always popular at zoos.
 

rubbertree

TPF Noob!
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
727
Reaction score
0
Location
Canada
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Awww I am so sorry to hear of this news. Poor Hope. Such a stunning creature.
 

BlueEyes01

TPF Noob!
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
176
Reaction score
0
Location
Missouri
Can others edit my Photos
Photos NOT OK to edit
As a frequent visitor to this zoo, Hope will be missed. Beautiful creature.
 

leighthal

No longer a newbie, moving up!
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
717
Reaction score
133
Location
Ontario
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
That first photo captures so much. Bye Hope.
 

LuckySo-n-So

TPF Noob!
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
448
Reaction score
0
Location
Baton Rouge, LA
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Sad to hear. I love polar bears (esp. the Christmas "Coca-cola" polar bears :lol:). I hope y'all get a new one soon.
 

mylo

TPF Noob!
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
237
Reaction score
0
Can others edit my Photos
Photos NOT OK to edit
A very meaningful Picture 1!
 

Most reactions

Top