In a somber moment for animal lovers and the community, the North Carolina Zoo announces the passing of Payton, their cherished polar bear. Payton, touched the hearts of many during his time at the zoo. This loss is deeply felt, as Payton's memory will forever remain a treasured part of the zoo's legacy.
"The North Carolina Zoo is mourning a huge loss this week," said a statement from the zoo.
The North Carolina Zoo lost their polar bear, Payton, on Wednesday Oct. 25th. Payton was in the midst on being transferred from North Carolina to Louisville, Kentucky for the polar bear breading partnership, according to a report from North Carolina Zoo's website. The team would preform routine checks on the polar bear, but during one of the checks he was found unresponsive. "On the second check, less than two hours away from the North Carolina Zoo, the care team found Payton non-responsive. He was immediately transported to a nearby large animal veterinarian, who confirmed that Payton had passed," North Carolina Zoo said. He was then transported back to North Carolina.
The North Carolina Zoo announced the passing of the bear first on Facebook. In WRAL's article "NC Zoo mourns loss of Payton the polar bear" is a quote by Dr. Jb Minter discussing how Payton died. "The necropsy indicated some evidence of cardiac disease, a tumor on his adrenal gland as well as some moderate osteoarthritis in keeping with his advanced age," Dr. Jb Minter said. Minter also said that tissue sample are being sent out to do more studying on Paytons cause of death, also with a full investigation on the incident.
Payton the polar bear was brought to The North Carolina Zoo back in 2021. His purpose was to be a mate for their female polar bear Anana, according to WRAL article, "NC Zoo mourns loss of Payton the polar bear." He was originally located in Memphis. Payton was born Nov. 8th, 2003 at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, IL. He died right before he was able to enter his twenties.
The loss of Payton has deeply affected the North Carolina Zoo and the community. Many visitors have expressed their condolences and shared their memories of seeing Payton during their visits to the zoo.
"The North Carolina Zoo is mourning a huge loss this week with the passing of Payton the Polar Bear. I enjoyed seeing Payton on our last family trip there, and I'm thinking about all of the staff and members of our zoo community during this time," said RC, a visitor to the zoo.
Payton's legacy as a beloved polar bear will forever be remembered at the North Carolina Zoo. His presence brought joy and wonder to all who had the opportunity to see him. The zoo will continue to honor his memory and work towards the conservation and protection of polar bears and their habitats.
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