A grizzly bear that has served as a tourist attraction and resident ambassador atop Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain for over two decades has died. The 25-year-old male bruin, named Grinder, had lived in an enclosure at the mountain resort since 2001, when he was found as an orphaned cub near Invermere, B.C. Grinder’s companion in the enclosure, a fellow male grizzly named Coola, also arrived at the ski resort in 2001, and together the pair became an attraction and an opportunity to educate visitors about wildlife conservation. “Saying goodbye to Grinder is heartbreaking for all of us,” said veterinarian Ken Macquisten, director of the Grouse Mountain Wildlife Refuge, in a statement Friday. “It is a decision that was made with the utmost care and consideration for the grizzly bear millions of people have come to know and love.” The resort said Grinder had reached an age beyond the average life expectancy of a male grizzly in the wild. The bear had experienced a rapid decline in mobility in recent weeks, the resort added, and an examination revealed an irreversible spinal condition had paralyzed his hind limbs. “With Grinder’s welfare always the highest priority, the difficult decision was made to provide him with a peaceful and humane passing in the habitat he called home, surrounded by the team who cared for him since he was a cub,” the resort said. Coola remains healthy and is being monitored closely by the veterinary team, the statement added. Following Grinder’s death, Coola “was given supervised access to him” before he was removed from the habitat, which the resort described as “a practice widely used at many accredited zoological facilities to help animals recognize the loss of a companion.” ‘Legacy will live on’ Grouse Mountain’s bear habitat has evolved into a major off-season draw for the ski resort, fueled by the announcement of the bears’ emergence from hibernation each spring. Both bears turned 25 during their last hibernation, as all grizzly cubs are born inside their dens in the early winter months. The non-profit Grizzly Bear Foundation said Grinder inspired generations to view the species with greater curiosity, compassion and respect, fostering a lasting commitment to grizzly bear conservation. “Thank you, Grinder,” it said in a statement. “Your legacy will live on.” There are an estimated 20,000 grizzly bears left in Western Canada, according to Parks Canada, which considers the animals a species of “special concern.”
