Polar bear at Assiniboine Park Zoo dies at age 30

Agee, a polar bear who has been living at Assiniboine Park Zoo since 2022, has died at age 30.

A senior polar bear at Assiniboine Park Zoo died at the end of last week.

In a Facebook post, the zoo announced the passing of Agee – a 30-year-old polar bear who came to Winnipeg from British Columbia in 2022.

Agee turned 30 in January, which is a senior citizen in the world of polar bears. During her time at Assiniboine Park Zoo, she dealt with several age-related conditions, including kidney failure, dental problems and mobility issues.

The Facebook post said Agee seemed to be doing well over the past month, but last week experienced a “sudden, onset, severe deterioration in her health.” The zoo believes she had a significant decline in kidney function, which may have been associated with an infection. Despite medical intervention, Agee did not make it.

Agee lived a private life and was not seen by visitors of the zoo. However, the zoo noted, she was deeply bonded to the team who cared for here.

“She loved to swim and spent much of her time cruising around in her personal pool,” the zoo said.

“She would often take enrichment items and food to her bed (aka her nest) and could be spotted cuddling with her toys.”

Further investigation into the sudden decline in Agee’s health is underway, including postmortem examinations. Results of these tests may provide more insight into Agee’s condition at the time of her death.

• With files from CTV’s Jon Hendricks.