Cameron Park Zoo mourning loss of black bear

WACO, Texas ( FOX 44 ) – The staff of Cameron Park Zoo have announced the passing of Kenai, its juvenile black bear.

The Zoo says Kenai's journey began in Alaska, where he was discovered by Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists. He appeared to be separated from his mother and searching for food. After being rescued, he was brought to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, where their staff rehabilitated him over the winter months.

The Alaska Zoo and Cameron Park Zoo partnered to bring Kenai to Waco in March 2023. He was estimated to be seven or eight months old. The Zoo says his playful spirit and unique backstory quickly endeared him to both staff and visitors.

The Zoo says Kenai started showing signs of a decreased appetite and activity level this past October. Staff originally believed Kenai was exhibiting some signs of seasonal torpor after a decrease in outside temperatures. However, Kenai's activity level gradually improved while his appetite slowly declined. To investigate the underlying cause, he was anesthetized for a physical exam and diagnostics.

Results showed Kenai developed kidney failure. Additionally, an ultrasound showed some unusual tissue around his kidneys. Based on these findings, veterinary staff decided that exploratory surgery would be needed to figure out the cause.

The Zoo says a mass was found during surgery on Kenai's right kidney that appeared consistent with cancer. Given that the mass could not be surgically removed and with Kenai still having kidney failure, the decision was made to humanely euthanize. A necropsy performed the following day confirmed cancer in both kidneys as well as a few other areas.

While cancer and kidney disease are not uncommon in bears, the Zoo says these conditions are usually seen in older bears. Kenai was estimated to be approximately two years old at the time of his death.

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