WACO, Texas — The Cameron Park Zoo is mourning the death of one of its beloved young black bears, Kenai, who captured hearts with his playful spirit and unique backstory.
The zoo announced Kenai's death Wednesday, saying the bear was around 2 years old and was humanely euthanized after they discovered cancer in both kidneys and other areas.
The young bear's journey began in Alaska where biologists found him separated from his mother. After rehabilitating at the Alaska Zoo, Kenai arrived in Waco in March 2023 and quickly endeared staff and visitors. He was around 7- to- 8-months old.
This past October, zookeepers noticed Kenai appetite and physical activity declined. Though his activity level started to improve, his appetite continued to decline.
In response, he was put asleep so that zookeepers could conduct a physical exam and diagnostics where they later learned he developed kidney failure. Additionally, an ultrasound also showed "some unusual tissue" around his kidneys.
Based on the findings, they decided to have Kenai undergo surgery where they discovered a mass on his right kidney that they were unable to remove.
"Given that the mass could not be surgically removed and with Kenai still having kidney failure, the decision was made to humanely euthanize," the zoo said in a statement.
A necropsy was performed the following day, which confirmed Kenai had cancer.
"While cancer and kidney disease are not uncommon in bears, these conditions typically affect older animals," the zoo said in a statement.
Black bears are native to North America and usually live around 20 to 30 years in the wild. In captivity, they can live up to 40 years with proper care.