Goodbye Snowball

I was saddened to learn this week that one of the polar bears at the Cleveland Zoo died this week. It was interesting to learn that she was almost the same age as me, so she was likely the same polar bear I saw as a kid, and that my nephews got to see, too. I have many polar bear pictures from the Cleveland Zoo, I will add some of my favorites here, even though I don't know which one might be Snowball.


RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2008

Polar Bear Dies at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo


Snowball, a wild born 37-year-old polar bear, died at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo today at approximately 10:30 a.m. She was the oldest zoo polar bear in the United States.

A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be performed by the Zoo's Veterinary Care staff to determine the cause of death. The Zoo will release results from the necropsy as they become available.

Snowball arrived at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 1971 when she was 11 months old. Most recently, Snowball resided in the Zoo's Northern Trek area with two other polar bears – 25-year-old female Aurora and 15-year-old male Aquila. The average life expectancy for polar bears in zoos is 20 to 30 years.