North Carolina Zoo Mourns the Loss of ‘Amazing, Goofy’ Grizzly Bear
ASHEBORO NC (NC Zoo Press Release) - The North Carolina Zoo is grieving the loss of Tommo, a beloved grizzly bear who lived at the Zoo for 26 years. The 31-year-old bear's quality of life quickly declined to the point that the Zoo's staff made the difficult decision to euthanize him this week.
Tommo arrived at the Zoo in 1995 after being identified as a "nuisance bear" in Yellowstone National Park and relocated twice by the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. Nuisance bears have lost their fear of humans because they start to associate people as suppliers of food. This happens when people don’t properly secure their food while out in the wilderness.
Though bears like Tommo usually end up being euthanized because they pose a threat to humans, the Zoo was able to provide him a home that a...