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May 5, 2008 3:40 pm US/Mountain
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Denver Zoo Polar Bear Dies
Father Of Klondike, Snow Had Tumor
DENVER (CBS4) ―
A 22-year-old polar bear who was the father of the Denver Zoo's famous polar bears Klondike and Snow; and Ulaq and Berit, died Saturday.
Olaf, a 22-year-old male polar bear, began to show signs of acting lethargic and his eating habits were fluctuating over the past several weeks, zoo keepers said.
The veterinary staff anesthetized the bear for a medical examination and to biopsy a swollen area of his abdomen Friday. The results showed that Olaf was suffering from an aggressive and terminal form of liver cancer.
Olaf was humanely euthanized Saturday, the zoo said.
A necropsy showed Olaf had a massive tumor in his abdomen.
Polar bears typically live 20-25 years.
"Often with wild animals, they do not show symptoms of illness until they are quite ill," said Dr. David Kenny, the zoo's senior veterinarian. "This was the case with our valiant Olaf, who showed no signs of illness until quite recently, despite having terminal liver cancer. He was such a good bear."
Olaf was a resident of the Denver Zoo for 21 years. He arrived from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in March of 1987 as a one-and-a-half-year-old cub. Olaf was named after Saint Olaf, the Patron Saint of Norway.
The zoo says Olaf was known for his "distinguished palate" because unlike most bears, he didn't like eating fish heads. He would remove them before eating the torso and tail.
The Denver Zoo is home to three other polar bears, females Soosha (21) and Voda (21), and male Frosty (22).
The Denver Zoo is home to three other polar bears, females Soosha (21) and Voda (21), and male Frosty (22).
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)