Posted on 12/15/2004 3:04:15 PM PST by Max Combined
ABILENE -- One of the two American black bears at the Abilene Zoo died after apparently choking on a piece of meat.
Boo Boo's body was found about 5 p.m. Monday, 30 minutes after the bears were fed. Once the second bear, Teddy, 13, was moved, the zoo staff made a quick examination and confirmed that Boo Boo, 9, had died.
Dr. Clay Hilton, the zoo's consulting veterinarian, said Boo Boo must have eaten quickly and regurgitated a large, unchewed piece of meat that lodged in his windpipe.
Boo Boo was known for his never-ending quest for snacks and his cool dips in a pond.
"We try and do everything we possibly can to provide a safe environment for the animals," said Stephanie DeGesero, the zoo's mammal supervisor. "Weird things like this just happen, even if you do things right by the numbers. It's probably something that would never happen again."
The normal life expectancy of an American black bear in captivity is 15 to 20 years, DeGesero said.
Boo Boo came to the zoo with Teddy in 2000. Their exhibit was renovated in 2002, creating more space for the pair to exercise and forage.
DeGesero said the zoo will contact institutions that help place bears, whether orphaned or in other situations, many free of charge, to try to find a new bear.
Jeff Bullock, the Abilene Zoo's director, said that the zoo did not carry any insurance on Boo Boo and would try to replace him by working with the various environmental groups.
"Like lives of our own, there are times that a freak accident occurs and there is little that can be done to change the outcome," Bullock said in a statement.
I guess he wasn't smarter than the average picnic basket...
I wonder if they contacted Yogi yet...
He should've stuck to peanut butter sandwiches.
It's not like anyone is going to rush in there and do the heimlich maneuver on a bear....
Poor bear....
If ol' Boo Boo had been a nice Vegan bear this NEVER would have happened. Meat is eeeeevil.
/sarcasm off
Looks like Boo Boo had a boo boo.
How to get a new bear on the cheap:
1. Come out to Western Maryland near the Deep Creek Lake resort
2. Set a bait pile of food near local dumpster
3. Get big bear trap
4. Wait one night
5. Take bear to zoo
BTW, I could swear I saw an e-mail sent to John Gibson (during his My Word segment) from ralph - read on air.....one liner, very droll.....just like ralph.....
This should be linked to the post about Britney Spear's dog Bitbit eating steak prepared by a world renowned chef.
If the steak fed to Britney's Bitbit had been fed to Boo Boo instead, perhaps Boo Boo wouldn't have poo pooed and Britney's Bitbit wouldn't get media schitschit.
Here... hold muh bear.
I guess they will have to start cutting meat in bite sized pieces from now on or better yet, blenderize it.
"Yogi, the ranger isn't going to be happy about this..."
Ten bucks says someone at PETA uses this to further their fresh piles unto others.
He's gonna be heartbroken over this.
OMG That is funny! :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.