Nicky, a Masai giraffe, and Kalluk, the polar bear. Photos: Courtesy of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Two beloved animals who lived at the San Diego Zoo for more than two decades were compassionately euthanized last week. The zoo announced the news of their deaths through heartfelt obituaries on Instagram.
🦒 Nicky, 28-year-old matriarch of her herd, was believed to be the oldest Masai giraffe in North America, according to the zoo. Her health had been declining in her old age.
🐻❄️ Kalluk, a 24-year-old polar bear, came to the zoo as an orphaned cub with his sister Tatqiq and their companion Chinook, who were able to say goodbye, the zoo said in its post.
The intrigue: Monitoring Kalluk helped researchers figure out how polar bears can find each other over the vast Arctic tundra, and better understand their body weight and fat stores to aid in their protection in the wild, Megan Owen, the zoo's vice president of wildlife conservation science, told the U-T.
