Male polar bear kills female bear during breeding attempt at Detroit Zoo

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Female Anana, who was 20 years old, and male Nuka, 16, lived together without incident in 2020, and zoo officials say they are surprised and devastated by what happened.

“This was completely unexpected and Detroit Zoo staff have been devastated by the loss of Anana,” Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society’s Chief Life Sciences Officer, said in the statement.

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According to the zoological society, Nuka lived at the zoo for 10 years without ever showing any harmful behavior towards female polar bears.

Anana lived at the zoo for a little over a year. The bears were re-introduced last week after several months of separation as part of a conservation program designed to protect the endangered species.

“The Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Polar Bear Species Survival Plan is a cooperative population management and conservation program that helps ensure the sustainability of healthy captive animal populations,” the publication said.

The program has been successful with the recent birth of twin cubs whose parents are Nuka and 8-year-old Suka, the organization said.

The last time an animal was killed by another animal at the zoo was in 1988. That incident also involved polar bears, the release said.

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