Johannesburg - Geebee, the country’s only female polar bear, died on Sunday evening following a bout of diarrhoea.
She was found in her Johannesburg Zoo enclosure on Monday morning by zoo staff while they were doing routine checks.
Her partner Wang “is pining for Geebee and is understandably very stressed,” said the manager of veterinary services at the zoo, Dr Katja Koeppel.
“They were together for almost 30 years and developed a close bond with one another… Since Geebee’s death, Wang has displayed unusual behaviour and has been to some levels destructive and restless.”
The 29-year-old Geebee was born on February 27, 1985 and was brought to Johannesburg Zoo along with Wang when they were both a year old.
Geebee was from Quebec, Canada, and Wang from Sapporo Zoo in Japan.
According to Koeppel, at the age of 29, polar bears are considered old for their species, which could explain why Geebee’s diarrhoea treatment failed.
“At first she responded well to the treatment, but after a few days, she rejected further medication,” said the doctor.
Wang has also been facing a chronic medical condition. He was diagnosed with liver failure in 2010 but has successfully been undergoing treatment since.
“We will be monitoring him closely and will ensure that he is kept busy by providing him with additional toys, treats and behaviour enrichment activities to try to mitigate the stress,” Koeppel said.
Though Wang is lonely, the zoo is not planning to replace Geebee.
“Polar bears are solitary animals, and Geebee and Wang tolerated one another because they were brought in together as juveniles,” said Koeppel.
“Polar bears are terribly territorial and introducing another polar bear into the enclosure may be risky.”
She added that Joburg’s climate was not ideal for polar bears. - The Star