BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WAND) – A longtime animal at a Bloomington zoo has died.
Miller Park Zoo officials noticed Candy, a Malayan sun bear, showed lethargy for a period of less than 18 hours. Medical workers took a closer look and concluded with a preliminary diagnosis of renal failure. They described her condition as “grave” following the examination.
The zoo announced Wednesday it euthanized Candy on Thursday, Sept. 14.
Candy had served as a fixture in Miller Park Zoo since 1998, when she arrived with her mate Chapin. Chapin died from bone cancer at 27 years old in 2010.
Candy was born at Zoo Miami on Feb. 14, 1984, and lived to the age of 33. That lifetime outlasts a Malayan sun bear life expectancy of 23.1 years. The zoo says it made an event out of Candy’s birthday every year during her life.
"She will be missed by many, many people in the community", stated Zoo Director Jay Tetzloff. "She was here for almost 20 years, so many guests knew her."
The zoo says medics performed a necropsy on Candy at the University of Illinois. They say those results likely won’t be released for several weeks.
