LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT/Gray News) – Thursday was a sad day for a zoo in Arkansas. The Little Rock Zoo’s last grizzly bear died Thursday morning from suspected heart failure. According to KAIT, Ann’s passing marks the end of an era for the zoo.
Ann and her sister, Nona, were transferred to the zoo in 1993 after they made a nuisance of themselves in the Bob Marshall Wilderness area in Montana by raiding 19 backcountry camps and attempting to enter several tents.
When they arrived in Little Rock, they were met with a teddy bear parade. The “grizzly girls” would go on to enchant zoo visitors for almost three decades. The bears would often be seen placing their paws up to the glass of their enclosure as if they were trying to high-five the crowd.
Cancer was discovered in Nona’s jaw during a dental exam earlier this year, resulting in her death. Ann and Nona were both estimated to be 33 years old at the time of their deaths. The Little Rock Zoo currently does not have plans to acquire more grizzly bears.
Source: Local4 KSNB Hastings
