Polar bear kills female bear in breeding attempt at Detroit Zoo

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Woman Anana, 20, and man Nuka, 16, had lived together without incident in 2020 and zoo officials say they are surprised and devastated by what happened.

“It was completely unexpected, and the staff at the Detroit Zoo are devastated by the loss of Anana,” Scott Carter, director of life sciences for the Detroit Zoological Society, said in the statement.

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Nuka lived at the zoo for 10 years without ever showing any harmful behavior towards female polar bears, according to the Zoological Society.

Anana had lived at the zoo for a little over a year. The bears were reintroduced last week after several months of separation as part of a conservation program designed to protect 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 statement said.

The program was successful with the recent birth of twins whose parents are Nuka and 8-year-old Suka, according to the organization.

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

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