Male Polar Bear Succumbs to Acute Intestinal Torsion

INDIANAPOLIS  – The Indianapolis Zoo staff is sad to announce the death of its male polar bear, “Triton.”  Triton, age 11, died in the polar bear holding facility at the Zoo at approximately 11:15am Thursday, April 10.  The Zoo’s veterinary staff conducted a necropsy (the animal version of an autopsy) midday Thursday and were able to determine almost immediately that the cause of death was a severe, 360 degree torsion (twisting) of the colon that had stopped blood flow to a large section of the bowel.

According to Dr. Jan Ramer, the Zoo’s Associate Veterinarian, “Gastric and intestinal torsion can occur in any mammal but are particularly common in certain species like horses (colonic) and dogs (gastric).  This condition is always an emergency and a 360 degree twist is frequently fatal, even with surgical intervention.”

Triton had exhibited symptoms of intestinal distress (vomiting) beginning on Wednesday morning, but with close monitoring by the veterinary and marine mammal staff, his condition had not appeared to worsen significantly until Thursday morning.  When he began showing more obvious signs of distress, the vet staff delivered both pain relief and antacid medications and were in the process of planning to move him to the veterinary hospital for a potential endoscopy or exploratory surgery.  Unfortunately, Triton collapsed at 11:15am, and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Triton came to the Indianapolis Zoo on March 30, 2004, from the Detroit Zoo.  He was born at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, in November 1997.  Marine Mammal staff report that he was a well tempered bear, very active, had recently learned some new husbandry behaviors, and that his trainers were very fond of him.  He sired one cub, a female named Talini, which was born at the Detroit Zoo shortly after Triton left to come to Indianapolis.

The Zoo has two remaining polar bears in its collection, both geriatric females.  Tundra, age 22, was born at the San Diego Zoo on November 15, 1986, and came to the Indianapolis Zoo on May 9, 1988.  Tahtsa {TAT’SA), age 34, is on loan from the Louisville Zoo and was born at the Denver Zoo on November 20, 1974.  She arrived in Indianapolis on October 10, 2006 and is among the oldest polar bears in human care.

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest land carnivore alive in the world today.  It is found in the polar regions of the North Hemisphere, around the Arctic Ocean, the Northern Atlantic, North Pole, and the northern parts of Europe, Asia, North America and the Bering Sea.  There are perhaps 35,000 to 40,000 polar bears left in the wild, with the largest populations in Canada, Greenland, Siberia and Alaska.  Current populations are under threat because of over-hunting, poaching, pollution, global warming and increasing oil and gas drilling.*

Polar Bear Facts:

·         Polar bears range throughout the circumpolar north in areas where they can hunt seals on sea ice. The five "polar bear nations" in which the bears are found include the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway. Polar bears do not live in the southern hemisphere.

·         Scientists predict that, if current warming trends continue in the Arctic, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by 2050.

·         Adult male polar bears measure 8 to 10 feet tall and weigh 550 to 1,700 pounds. Adult female bears are smaller. They measure 6 to 8 feet tall and weigh 200 to 700 pounds. The largest polar bear ever recorded was a male weighing 2,209 pounds.

·         Polar bears are perfectly adapted to survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic, where winter temperatures can plunge to -50 F. Two layers of fur provide the bears with such good insulation that they experience almost no heat loss. In addition, they are protected with a layer of blubber that can measure 4.5 inches thick. Compact ears and a small tail also prevent heat loss.

·         Seals are the polar bear's primary prey, particularly the ringed seal and the bearded seal. When hunting is good, polar bears will typically eat only the fat and leave the rest of the carcass for scavengers, including arctic foxes, ravens, and younger bears.

·         Polar bears top the food chain in the Arctic. They help keep the balance of nature by preventing an overpopulation of seals.

·         In the wild, polar bears live an average of 15 to 18 years, although biologists have tagged a few bears in their early 30s. In human care, they may live until their mid-30s, but the average lifespan is the mid-20s.

*Climate change is the biggest threat that the bears face.

Source: Polar Bears International

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Located in White River State Park downtown, the Indianapolis Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Association of Museums as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. The Indianapolis Zoo inspires local and global communities to celebrate, protect, and preserve our natural world through conservation, education, and research, and by providing an enriching and wondrous environment for our visitors and the animals in our care.  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.